Four Lessons and a Wedding
by Initiation Day
Summary: Tired of the estrangement that exists between the inner sailor scouts and the shitennou, Serena and Darien (with the help of the outer scouts) decide to teach the girls a thing or two about love. COMPLETE. Scouts/Generals, Serena/Darien
1. Prologue

**A/N:** New story! It should be updated frequently and contains the following pairing: Zoicite/Ami, Mina/Kunzite, Nephrite/Lita, Jadeite/Rei and a healthy dose of Serena/Darien. I know i've mixed the japanese and dub names together (forgive me!) i just went with the ones i'm most comfortable with. Enjoy!

EDIT: 03/09/2013 fixed up the formatting! hopefully it's a lot easier to read now. I'll go through and do this for all of the early chapters C:

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Four Lessons and a Wedding

Prologue

Serena and Darien sat on the top step of Hikawa Shrine enjoying the sight of the trees dancing with the wind, birds flitting from branch to branch and the rather adorable nuzzling of Artemis and Luna (who believed themselves to be hidden from sight behind a large tree trunk). Darien's arm was securely fastened around Serena's waist, drawing her close to him, and her head rested on his shoulder. They both cherished these quiet moments.

"Aren't they nauseating?" Rei asked the others as they peeked through the door of the shrine. Lita grinned at her fellow sailor scout.

"You're just jealous Rei. I think Serena and Darien are sweet." She teased gently. Mina hastened to agree,

"yeah Rei! Look at them! They are soooo in love, it's adorable. I can't believe they are getting married in a couple of months." She sighed wistfully.

Rei's expression changed to mock revulsion at Mina's longing.

"Pfftt why would you want to be married? Men are ridiculous!" she nudged her blonde friend, causing her to fall onto Ami.

"ouch!" the two girls squealed in pain as their heads collided. Mina shoved Rei in retaliation forcing her into Lita, who promptly hit her elbow on the wooden frame. Lita howled in pain as she pushed Rei back.

The pushing and shoving become more and more aggressive until they all fell out of the doorway onto the paved courtyard of the shrine. Yowling in pain and rubbing their sore body parts, they found themselves face to face with the shoes of their highly amused prince and princess chuckling at their antics.

"See, I told you we didn't need to hire entertainment for the wedding" Darien quipped, causing Serena to giggle.

"har har" Lita muttered under her breath as she helped Ami to her feet.

"Were you guys spying on us?" Serena asked them, tears of mirth swimming in her sweet, blue eyes.

Ami blushed bright red and stammered "t-t-the others insisted that we... I swear I didn't... oh Serena I'm sorry!"

Serena laughed gaily and grabbed the hands of her dear friend. Holding them tenderly she smiled sweetly and forgave her readily.

"how could I possibly be mad when I'm so utterly happy?" she practically sang. Rei groaned causing Darien to smirk.

"Is that jealousy I detect Ms Hino?" he asked slyly.

Mina let out a triumphant 'ha!'.

"That's exactly what Lita said!" she said nudging the priestess. Rei scowled at the lot of them.

"I don't need love." She replied stubbornly, crossing her arms and daring them all to challenge them.

Darien smirk only grew at her comment though.

"I think you do. I think you need a lesson in love." He said. Serena nodded, agreeing with her fiancé.

"That's right. We were just discussing this the other day actually." The other girls exchanged worried glances at Serena's words.

"Rei needs to learn how to love, Lita: how to listen, Ami should learn how to communicate and Mina... well Mina needs to learn perseverance."

"What!" four voices exclaimed.

Darien chuckled and stage whispered to his beloved, "I told you they wouldn't take it too kindly."

The inner sailor scouts glared at him. "I always persevere!" Mina hissed angrily.

Rei nodded, the two of them united. "And I know how to love! I love all of you!" she added outraged at what they had said.

"We know." Darien said in a placating voice "But when it comes to romantic relationships... you guys have a lot to learn. Years of putting the happiness of Serena first have left you guys... well a little..." he cast around for the perfect word fruitlessly.

"lacking?" Serena supplied helpfully.

"Yes, lacking... we know you are capable of all those things we mentioned. Rei loves fiercely, Mina would never give up on us, once you get Ami started on a topic that she loves she won't stop and Lita will always listen to you rant and rave."

The girls had now calmed down slightly, softened by the praise heaped up on them by their future king, and were considering their words. They each saw the truth in what they had been saying, even though none of them liked to admit it.

"So that's why we are going to teach you! Plus, it would be terrible if my bridesmaids couldn't get along with his groomsmen." Serena finished happily, clapping her hands together in excitement.

The girls stared at her in shock before simultaneously shouting:

"What?!"

"We?"

"Serenaaaaaa!"

"Oh my god!"

Serena laughed gaily and waved aside their worries.

"Oh don't worry, Darien and I along with the help of the outer sailor scouts have just some exercises planned to help you guys learn how to have successful relationships. After all, the shitennou have been bummed out by your unwillingness to start relationships."

Before the dumbstruck girls could respond, Darien and Serena quickly sprinted out of the temple, giggling to themselves. Yes. Darien was giggling.  
Mina swore loudly, echoing the sentiments of the others.

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final note: all the girls are in college now and around the age of 21. The generals are older from 24 (Jadeite) to 26 (Kunzite). Darien is 24 (in the manga he is 3 years older than Serena). please review and let me know!


	2. Lesson One: Love (Part A)

**A/N: **First up is Rei! Each lesson will be split into two parts. Enjoy!

EDIT: 03/10/13 formatting fixed. Minor grammatical changes.

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**Lesson 1: Love**

_Part A: Confrontation_

Rei didn't need men. She didn't need romantic love. Her love for her family was enough. She certainly didn't need Serena to interfere with her life and 'teach' her about love. With a sigh, she slipped on her favourite dress. It was a worn out white cotton dress with little red flowers embroidered along the hem. It fell to her knees and complimented her figure nicely. It had once belonged to her mother but she had reclaimed it from her heartless father several years ago. After shouting a quick goodbye to her grandfather she headed out to meet the others at Crown Parlour.

They were holding a short conference to discuss the latest (and most ridiculous) harebrained scheme that Serena had dreamed up. Usually they were about Darien or Darien was there with them trying to prevent Serena. Never before had he so actively participated in her craziness. Normally Mina was the other perpetrator.

"Yo" a familiar voice called out. Rei whipped around to see a familiar short-haired blonde in a familiar looking car. Rei smiled at Haruka and headed over to the car.

"Where's Michiru?" she asked, looking pointedly at the empty front passenger seat.

Haruka shrugged, "She's taking Hotaru out for ice-cream or something. Hotaru's been missing Rini a lot lately." she explained nonchalantly.

"Why don't you hop in? I'll give you a lift to wherever you want."

Rei considered the request and decided that a lift from Haruka would be way better than walking.

They sped along Tokyo chatting happily about university. Rei was studying business management, hoping that it would come in handy when she eventually took over the temple.

"Sounds very sensible" Haruka teased lightly.

"Oh I'm sorry, I forgot I was talking to an internationally renowned racer." Rei said matching the older girl's tone.

"Hey, I just have to pick something up from my lawyer. Do you mind if we swing by? It'll only take an extra few minutes" Haruka asked suddenly.

Rei studied the blonde suspiciously. Haruka carefully avoided Rei's eyes and stared directly at the road. Even her nonchalant manner seemed a little too... nonchalant.

"That's okay" Rei said slowly.

Haruka shot her a smile of gratitude and turned the car sharply around the corner. Rei was flung to the right, her hand gripping the seat in shock.

"Jeez, give me some warning next time!" she chided. Her suspicion was forgotten in the wake of Haruka's manic driving. Haruka managed to distract her friend until they arrived at a fancy looking high-rise in the centre of Tokyo.

"I'll be one minute" she promised, jumping out of the car.

/\/\/\

Rei watched her go, her feelings of suspicions rising again. Her attention was momentarily averted by the sight of two familiar men walking past on the other side of the road. Hotaru and Kunzite. Slinking down into her seat she watched them head towards the general direction of Crown Parlour. It had been a surprise to everybody when those two had formed an unlikely friendship but what bothered Rei was the fact that Haruka had claimed that Michiru was with Hotaru. She was so focussed that she was oblivious to Haruka approaching the car with someone else in tow.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise that they had stuffed it up" someone seemed to be apologised. Rei's eyes snapped up to the direction of the voice and she felt her jaw drop. Jadeite.

Jadeite nervously stuffed his hands into his pocket as he waited for Rei to say something. Haruka laughed hesitantly as she quickly cleared the backseat of junk.

"Sorry Rei, my lawyer's clerk made a mistake in the contract so he's going to have to come with me to explain to my manager what the problem is." She quickly explained as though hoping that if she said it quickly Rei wouldn't have time to be angry.

"Uh hi Rei" Jadeite mumbled.

He slipped into the backseat and they were off. Rei was silently fuming in the front seat. Jadeite could tell by the way she was glaring daggers at him through the rearview mirror.

Although, in his opinion this was a definite step up from their first meeting in which she had set him on fire. The next couple of meetings had ended with singed eyebrows and after that she had shifted to thinly veiled to the unceasing efforts of Darien and Serena, the sailor scouts and the shitennou were beginning to get along. Some better than others.

Strangely it had been the outer scouts that had accepted the presence of Endymion's guardians first. Perhaps they better understood what had happened to them... the brainwashing... the never-ending darkness... the pain... either way they were on friendly terms with Jadeite even acting as a lawyer for Haruka and Michiru.

About a block from the parlour the car suddenly came to a sputtering halt. Rei shot Haruka a concerned look.

"What's happening?" she asked in a panic. Haruka hit the steering wheel in frustration.

"I don't know but this piece of junk has been giving me some major problems lately."

She jumped out and opened up the bonnet of the car and inspected the inside carefully. After a few minutes she came back round.

"Ok, it's not that bad and there's a mechanic a five minute walk from here. I can get the part I need from there but I can't leave the car here alone."

She looked at them meaningfully.

Oh no.

Hell no.

Jadeite wasn't interested in being flambéed anytime soon. Especially not today, he was wearing his nice suit!

"Yeah I don't look good chargrilled" he replied hastily.

Rei sneered at him, "I wouldn't waste my energy on a swot like you."

"That's enough!" Haruka growled. "Either you two stay and look after my car or I'll kick both of your butts." She demanded.

Rei groaned.

"But I have to meet the others in like 5 minutes!"she protested.

Haruka threw her cellphone at the priestess.

"Let them know you'll be late." And with that she turned her back on them and walked away.

/\/\/\

After calling the others and letting them know what happened, Rei threw herself back into the front seat of the car and folded her arms angrily. She tossed her long black hair out of her face and assumed a haughty expression.

"Great. Just great. I've always wanted to be forced to spend time with a dickhead" she said sarcastically.

Jadeite shut the bonnet and leant against it, imitating her crossed arms.

"What is your problem with me anyway?" he asked in a forced tone of voice.

Rei's face changed from haughtiness to cold fury in the space of a second.

"The others may have forgotten but I haven't. I haven't forgotten the feel of a blade pressed against my throat as you betrayed not only your prince and your planet but also me!" she snarled.

Jadeite's blue eyes flashed. He took two deep breaths to control his emotions. He wasn't going to let himself lash out at her. It would achieve nothing.

"You think I did it out of choice?" he began in a low voice.

Rei snorted in disbelief, "everyone has a ch—"

"Yeah well I didn't. _We _didn't." Jadeite interrupted.

He clenched his fist into a ball and took another deep breath.

"We were brainwashed by that awful woman and when we died in the Silver Millennium, we were reborn here but she found us again."

"But you didn't fight back!" Rei exclaimed. She got out of her seat and walked around to him, ready to give him a telling off, "You just let her brainwash you!"

Jadeite stared at her. "Do you think I liked having no real identity. Oh sure I had a _name_ but that's it! I lived in the darkness, unsure of everything around me. Beryl," he spat out her name in disgust, "told us that we were doing the right thing. I didn't understand or know any better. I had a family you know and guess what she did to them?"

"What?" Rei asked curiously despite of her determination to be otherwise.

"She killed them. My sister, my mother and my father." His voice broke slightly and he took another deep shuddering breath.

Rei looked down at her feet in shock. Beryl had killed his family. She began to feel guilt lapping at the edge of her consciousness like the gentle tide.

"I didn't know. I'm sorry" she murmured gently. Jadeite shrugged.

"And you know what else? You and Lita might think yourselves so high and mighty that you've never fallen to the enemy but just remember that Darien, our Prince Endymion, our future king, was brainwashed by _them_."

They had slowly been moving closer and closer. Rei could feel his warm breath on her face.

It smelled like candy.

She was frozen, her mind racing in a million directions at once. He was right of course, deep down she knew it wasn't his fault but she couldn't help being angry. Darien and Serena's love had saved Darien. This had led her to the conclusion that Jadeite simply hadn't loved her enough back in the Silver Millennium. Worst of all, not as much as she had loved him. She desperately wanted to explain her anger to him so he could explain her fears away but Rei couldn't allow herself to be hurt again. She didn't need the love of any man if it only led to more pain.

"I know." Popped out of her mouth without permission. Jadeite gazed at her coolly before leaning away. He had nothing left to say and apparently neither did she.

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ooohh what's going to happen next :P ? Please review and leave me nice things (or constructive) ! Here's a little teaser for the next chapter

_ They sat facing each other, Rei towelling her hair and Jadeite unwrapping a small piece of candy..._


	3. Lesson One: Love (Part B)

**A/N: enjoy this next chapter. i've almost finished the whole story which is exciting. so i will update quickly. review and let me know what you think!**

EDIT: Formatted 01/22/13

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_Part B: Resolution_

Haruka appeared not long afterwards. She took in the stony silence that stretched between the past lovers and smirked inwardly. Meatball Head's plan seemed to be working. She 'fixed' the car and drove Rei to Crown Parlour.

Rei quietly thanked Haruka and purposely avoided any eye contact with Jadeite.

She didn't pry into the details of the confrontation between Jadeite and Rei and was happy to blast the radio loudly as they headed off to meet her manager, Mark.

Mark quickly read over the contract and looked over at Rei and an apologetic Jadeite.

"I'm terribly sorry about the error, I wasn't aware that the figures weren't correct. I understand that you need to present it to the sponsors today but if you let me talk to them I'm sure we can work something out." Jadeite said politely.

Mark looked at him bemused.

"Mr East there is no error here."

"What?!" Jadeite grabbed the documents sitting on Mark's desk and read over them quickly, comparing the numbers on each one. Realising that the older man was correct he looked over at Haruka confused.

"Oh woops. Sorry I must've been mistaken" she said flippantly, fiddling with an antique sword displayed on the wall. Jadeite groaned.

"Thanks a lot Haruka" he muttered under his breath.

/\/\/\

The meeting proved to be fruitless. No one had so far been 'taught' any lessons.

Rei was sitting on a park bench contemplating the day's events. A clap of thunder suggested a possible storm was approaching but she was too wrapped up in her thoughts to notice. Jadeite's words echoed around her head causing the guilt to grow from a tide to a wave. Burying her face in her hands she searched around for another topic.

_Serena_.

Did she really think that Rei didn't know how to love? Her first instinct was to vehemently deny this but Rei trusted Serena and knew that the girl had some good instincts. A droplet of rain fell on her face. Rei looked up at the ominous grey clouds and found that it had begun raining. She was considering moving when she felt a small warm hand on her shoulder.

"Rei?" Serena's face appeared in her line of vision.

She was wearing that ridiculous yellow raincoat that made her look 15 instead of 20.

"Hey" she said in a small voice.

Damn her voice betrayed her inner turmoil.

Serena gave her a kindly smile and sat down on the wet bench next her. She unbuttoned her coat and threw the other half over Rei's shoulders. They sat together huddled in the ridiculous raincoat in silence for a few minutes.

"Is everything okay?" Serena asked, her eyes full of concern for her friend.

Rei was about to assure that she was fine but something about the way Serena was looking at her and the small gesture of sharing her raincoat made Rei stop. Without realising she was suddenly divulging all the thoughts that burdened her mind.

She described the encounter with Jadeite, her conclusion that he hadn't loved her all that much and her fear that she really was unable to love. Serena listened carefully and let the raven-haired girl to speak until she had no words left.

"Rei" she began in a soothing voice, "I had to _stab_ Endymion to snap him out of it and I had the power of the silver crystal on my side. He was cleansed and brought back through that power. Everything was different for you back then."

She patted Rei's back comfortingly underneath the raincoat. Their heads were now soaked from the steady downpour but neither made any attempt to move.

"I forgot" Rei whispered mortified. How could she forget that horrible scene?

Serena chuckled, "don't feel bad! I try my hardest to forget most days as well. By the way you can love, you have the ability but you're just afraid."

She gently forced Rei to look her directly in the eyes,

"but if you never conquer your fear then your heart will remain locked away and every day it will become harder to unlock it. You can conquer it though! I know you can. You're one of the strongest women I know, so don't let fear hold you back okay?" Serena smiled sweetly.

It was the type of smile that made Rei's heart fill with pride and joy to see her princess so mature and lovely. It was the type of smile that despite the cold that was beginning to seep into her bones, she felt warm and fiery on the inside. Serena shrugged the raincoat off her shoulder and wrapped it securely around Rei.

"I'm going to run into the arcade and wait for the rain to subside. You know how much I hate thunder and lightning. You take my raincoat and take all the time you need, I know you'll work things out Rei."

Rei nodded and thanked her and watched as one of her four best friends sprinting out of the rain, her golden hair flying behind her. Standing up slowly, Rei knew what she had to do. Serena was right. It was time to confess the truth and face up to her fears.

/\/\/\

Rei knocked on the door of Jadeite's apartment, nervously shifting from one foot to another.

She hadn't put the hood of the raincoat on, so her hair was drenched and water droplets ran down her face and neck.

She heard shuffling behind the door and it opened to reveal a rather surprised looking Jadeite. His sandy blonde hair was tousled and his business shirt was unbuttoned.

Rei tried not to let a blush grace her features at the sight of his rather toned chest.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Jadeite asked coolly once he had gotten control of his emotions.

"We need to talk." Rei said softly staring at her feet.

Jadeite's eyes widened. For once there was no animosity. Reaching out a tentative hand, he forced her chin upwards and studied her eyes carefully. There was nothing there but fear, pain, sadness and longing. Wordlessly, he stepped aside and allowed her into his apartment.

Rei cautiously entered the well-furnished apartment and stood awkwardly in the sitting room whilst Jadeite disappeared down on the hallways. He returned with a towel.

"You look wet." He explained gruffly.

A small chuckle escaped Rei's lips.

"Really?" she asked archly. Jadeite smiled slightly and gestured towards the couch.

They sat facing each other, Rei towelling her hair and Jadeite unwrapping a small piece of candy.

"So what's up?" he asked her.

"It's time we spoke properly and truthfully about our past, the present and our future."

/\/\/\

"Popcorn?" Lita offered the bowl around and five eager hands dived into the bowl.

Darien abstained, preferring to sip his coffee and finish his conversation with Nephrite regarding Japanese politics.

"You guys are so boring" Serena teased them.

She was joined by Jadeite, who likewise found politics to be an unbearable subject. Zoicite and Kunzite were playing a game of chess not far away with Ami watching intently and occasionally offering advice to both players.

Mina, Rei and Lita were busy watching a terrible romantic comedy on Darien's television whilst Serena and Jadeite played a game of Snap.

The tension between the scouts and the shitennou had cooled significantly when word got out that Rei and Jadeite were going to try and become friends and maybe something more. Though they both remained fairly tight-lipped on the subject, no one missed the lingering glances and the fleeting touches they now exchanged. Even Lita was being kinder to the generals. After all, if hot-headed Rei could forgive them maybe they weren't so bad after all.

After obliterating Jadeite in their game, Serena stood up and asked if anyone wanted a drink. Without waiting for their response, she rattled off their usual orders.

"Alright, I bet that Nephrite and Jadeite want root beer, Ami is going to go for water, milk for Luna and Artemis, a fresh pot of coffee for Darien the coffee addict"

Darien grinned at this description of himself,

"soda for Mina, Lita and Rei, Kunzite is going to refuse any drink but later go into the kitchen and grab some orange juice so I'll just get that for you now and finally a milkshake for me."

Everyone stared at Serena in stunned silence. They were impressed that she had managed to guess what everyone was planning on asking for and furthermore by the fact that she had said all this in one breath. Smiling brightly she twirled around and marched into the kitchen. Rei stood up quietly and followed her.

"Hey" she greeted Serena, sitting on the edge of the counter.

"Come to help?" Serena asked.

Rei laughed,

"yeah right! I like seeing you do something for once, you lazybones!" she teased playfully but adopted a serious expression moments later.

"Actually I just wanted to thank you for your advice. You were right, I needed to learn how to love again and I'm getting there. Jadeite and I are working through all our issues and you know what? I feel good about this."

Serena scooped out some ice-cream to make her milkshake and giggled, "I'm glad to know that I helped! You guys are really cute together by the way." She giggled again.

Rei smiled fondly and picked up a tray filled with various drinks.

"By the way I know that you set up the whole meeting between me and Jadeite. I remember you saying that Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru were in on this. I bet you purposely came by to check on me as well."

Serena assumed a dignified expression but her eyes twinkled, "I have _no_ idea what you're talking about."

Rei let out a low melodious laugh.

She couldn't stay mad at Serena, after all how _could_ she be mad when she was so utterly happy.

* * *

in next week's episode...

_"My dad caught me and Darien in a comprising position" she confided. Lita's jaw dropped. "Noooo" she breathed..._

Please leave me some love! 3


	4. Lesson Two: Listening (Part A)

**A/N: **And we're back with a new chapter! Enjoy and review

EDIT: formatted 03/22/13

* * *

Lesson 2: Listening

_Part A: Unexpected visitors_

It was two weeks after Rei and Jadeite had reconciled and everyone was on the lookout for another one of Serena's lessons. It wasn't that they didn't appreciate what she had done for Rei, god knows how happy they all were to see Rei smile and laugh more often, but no one particularly wanted Serena to meddle so... obviously in their lives. Lita thought about this as she prepared a simple pumpkin soup for herself.

With a bowl of the delicious, steaming soup Lita curled up on the couch in front of the television and turned on her favourite movie (some terrible romantic comedy, she was a sucker for these things). Despite the fact that her apartment was teeming with plant life, on some nights it felt awfully turned the volume up to try and fill the place with noise.

As the evening progressed, Lita dozed off on the sofa and the end credits of the movie began to roll when a knock at the door woke her up. Rubbing her bleary eyes, she shuffled to the door wondering who it could be.

Mina most likely, followed by Serena.

She peered through the peephole and saw two blonde buns and then a familiar face crying silently. She opened the door and ushered her distraught friend inside.

"What's wrong?!" Lita asked, her previous sleepiness forgotten.

Serena threw her arms around Lita and began to openly sob into her shoulder.

Afraid of being strangled by the petite blonde, she carefully backed up to the sofa and gently pried Serena's arms from around her neck. Tucking the weeping girl into the blanket on the couch, she hurried into the kitchen and heated up some leftover soup and made a cup of hot cocoa.

Food always cheered Serena up. Forcing the bowl and mug into Serena's hands, she waited until the girl had calmed down before questioning.

"What happened Serena?" she asked her with motherly concern.

Gulping down some pumpkin soup, Serena brushed away her remaining tears.

"My dad caught me and Darien in a comprising position" she confided.

Lita's jaw dropped. "Noooo" she breathed.

She could only imagine the fury of Kenji Tsukino on beholding his daughter doing anything other than hand-holding with Darien.

"Yes!" Serena nodded emphatically.

"We were just kissing though!" she hastily added before Lita could jump to the worst conclusion.

Lita raised her eyebrow, knowing that Serena was skipping details,

"okay fine, kissing with both our shirts off on his kitchen floor." She caved in, blushing slightly.

Lita laughed and whooped, "You go girl!" she cheered.

Serena blushed again, "Darien has the best chest though! It must be from all that fighting as Tuxedo Mask" Serena said giggling.

"But what happened with your dad?" Lita prompted.

Serena's giggles died away at the mention of her over-protective father.

"He came to drop off my house keys because the he and my mother were taking Sammy to Kyoto to check out some universities there and he just let himself into the house and... oh!" Serena buried her face in her hands in mortification.

Once she had recovered she continued with her recount.

"He kind of made this shout cross between scream sound when he saw us. We both jumped up and I ran out of the room to grab a shirt. When I came back papa was saying some awful things to Darien about how he was defiling me and that he would never be good enough for me. I felt so terrible that I told papa that what Darien and I did in our private time wasn't his business and that we were going to be married in a few months anyway. It seemed to be going okay until he realised that I was wearing one of Darien's shirts and then he went off again. He dragged me home and told mama what happened. Mama didn't really care though and that made him even angrier and he told me that I couldn't see Darien again and that's when I left for yours." Serena tearfully concluded.

Lita let out a low whistle. She couldn't believe that had actually happened to Serena.

Serena's sniffles subsided as they gossiped, pigged out and watched movies. It was approaching midnight before either of them felt any inclination to go to bed.

"I'll get the spare bedroom set up for you" Lita said whilst grabbing some fluffy pillows and blankets from a small closet.

"Thanks Lita, I don't know what I would do without you! Do you mind if I use your phone? I better call Darien and home."

Lita waved aside her polite question, she was more than happy to share her things with her best friends. After all, they were her family now. As she set up the bed for Serena, she could hear her friend assuring her fiancé and after that, her mother of her safety.

Serena was lucky to have so many people who loved her but while she was very lucky to have someone like Darien, Lita secretly thought that Darien probably felt himself to be the luckier person in their relationship.

Unlike the others, she understood what it was like to be an orphan. It was a lonely and sad existence. Having both lost their parents to horrific accidents at a young age, Lita knew that Darien's life needed the light and love of Serena just like she needed it as well. But while Serena had given her friends, a family and made her days a little brighter, she couldn't give her the love she so desperately desired.

"You should rent this room out, you could make a lot of money" Serena shuffled into the room in a pair of Lita's pyjamas. She had rolled the ends of the shirt and pants up several times to make them fit.

Lita considered the proposal, it actually wasn't bad.

"That's not actually a terrible idea!" she agreed thoughtfully.

Serena pouted at the implication in Lita's words, "Hey I can have good ideas!"

Lita chuckled and bade the blonde goodnight.

/\/\/\

'_Neph!' Lita whispered loudly to a tall muscular man with wild brown hair. _

_She beckoned him over to her with wild hand gestures. She was standing on top of a staircase in a floaty light green gown. Her brown curly hair tumbled over her shoulders in cascades and a playful smile lit up her face. Nephrite, in his dark grey suit, stared at her completely speechless. He slipped on a mask and hurried up the steps. Lita took his hand, giggling, and led him into the ballroom of the palace._

_ The Moon Kingdom was hosting its annual masquerade ball and the shitennou and Endymion were here in disguise. Lita was sure that Queen Serenity was aware of their presence though, nothing got past the queen. She had also winked at Lita and Nephrite as she glided past looking every bit the goddess that she was. Lita and Nephrite danced the night away, whispering sweet nothings and declarations of love in each other's ears. They joked about Zoicite and Ami standing in a corner debating intensely, Rei studiously ignoring Jadeite, Mina and Kunzite dancing in silent dignity and Serenity and Endymion, the most beautiful couple in the room._

_ At the conclusion of the ball, Lita saw Serenity and Endymion slip away. No doubt going to Serenity's chambers as they were wont to do. This gave Lita an idea. Again, she held Nephrite's hand firmly in hers and led him to her chamber._

_"Are you sure?" he asked as he peppered her long neck with kisses. Lita nodded, determined. Nephrite fingered the strap of her dress and began to pull it down..._

Lita awoke with a start. She felt her heart race and adrenaline pumping through her veins. Light filtered through her window and she could hear the sound of Tokyo waking up.

"Argh" she growled throwing the blanket over her head.

In the darkness provided by her makeshift tent, she attempted to sort through her dream. She had dreamt about _him_ again and these dreams were becoming more and more intense. With a heavy sigh she dragged herself out of bed and readied herself for the day.

Lita was passing through the lounge room, heading towards the kitchen, when she smelt it.

_Pancakes_.

Her favourite breakfast food. It also happened to be one of the few things Serena could cook. She found the little dining table in her kitchen laden with stacks of pancakes, whipped cream, maple syrup, raspberry syrup, strawberries, icing sugar, marmalade... almost every topping you could think of and there were four places set.

"Are some of the girls coming over for breakfast?" she asked curiously.

Serena, who was examining Lita's dishwasher, shook her head.

"Darien and a friend are coming over." She replied, now pursing her lips at the machine.

Lita understood what 'friend' meant. It meant one of the shitennou. No wonder Serena had gone all out for breakfast. She went over and pressed the right buttons to start the dishwasher. Serena threw her a grateful smile and gestured towards the table.

"Hopefully they'll be here soon before it all goes cold" she looked put out at the thought of all her hard work gone to waste.

"By the way, who is this friend?" Lita asked but her gut feeling told her that Serena was about to turn this into an impromptu 'lesson'.

She couldn't believe that the whole thing with her family was planned. Surely Serena wasn't that devious. Hopefully... maybe...

"I don't know, he didn't say" she said unconcernedly.

Now it was confirmed. Dammit! What had happened to their sweet, innocent Princess?!

Her day was getting worse and worse. First that dream and then the real-Nephrite? It just wasn't her day. She was about to berate her 'friend' (Lita was applying this term loosely right now) when the doorbell rang.

* * *

_Next chapter: The truth was Lita generally wouldn't turn to Rei for boy-advice because in general, Rei hated men. Most of the girls went to Mina (self-proclaimed goddess of love) or Serena (if you wanted more sane advice)..._


	5. Lesson Two Listening (Part B)

**A/N: **As per some reviews, i'm tried spacing it out more... is it too spaced out now? Anyway onto to next part of the story!

Enjoy and please drop me a review! I love hearing from you!

Also i'm going to be without internet for the next two weeks so I won't have time to update.

* * *

_Part B: Some helpful advice_

Serena jumped up and smiled brightly.

"Coming!" she sang, running to meet her boyfriend.  
Serena's exuberant greeting was heard by Lita all the way in the kitchen along with a "Yuck do you guys have to do that in front of me?". It was Nephrite; just as she had suspected.

Serena, Darien and Nephrite walked into the kitchen just as Lita was muttering "stupid Serena". Serena scowled at her and poked Lita's arm with her fork. Once they were all seated, Serena happily invited them all to begin eating.  
"Wow this is delicious!" Darien complimented enthusiastically as he piled more pancakes onto his plate.  
"No need to sound so shocked" Serena pouted. Darien looked abashed and reached into his pocket.  
"Uhh I'm not! By the way I got you something to cheer you up! It was Neph's idea, that's why he's with me" he explained, mainly for Lita's benefit.

Nephrite's face was blank as he continued eating slowly, watching the scene unfold. Lita remembered that he was secretly a huge romantic and so he was probably melting over the utter adorableness of Darien and Serena just like she was. Serena opened up the little black box and squealed with delight. She lunged across the table and threw her arms around Darien's neck.  
"Thank you thank you thank you! It's beautiful!" she cried.  
"Show me!" Lita demanded, her curiosity piqued. Serena proudly displayed the contents of the box. Inside was a crystal pendant shaped like a crescent moon. It was beautiful. Lita gasped in appreciation.  
"That's beautiful Darien!" she half-whispered in awe.  
"Don't I get any credit?" Nephrite asked jokingly.  
"Of course!" Serena ran over to him and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Thank you so much!" she cooed.  
Nephrite blushed deeply and mumbled how it was no trouble at all.

They resumed breakfast, everyone's spirits raised by the touching scene between Darien and Serena. Lita was finally beginning to enjoy herself despite the presence of a certain someone but then Darien and Serena dropped another bomb. Clearing his throat, Darien looked nervously at Lita.  
"Uh Lita" he began, "can I ask you for a favour?"  
"Sure... what is it?" she answered slowly. She felt as though he was lowering the trap and yet she didn't know how to get out of it.  
"Well you see Nephrite's apartment is being fumigated today and he needs a place to stay for three days. I would offer mine but Serena's over often and—"  
"That would be disgusting" Nephrite finished for him. He gazed evenly at Lita, unflinching despite her death glare.  
"Anyway and Rei is staying over at Jadeite's, Zoicite isn't in the city right now so we can't ask him and Kunzite and Nephrite can't live with each other without physical violence being involved. He really needs a place to stay and you have an extra bedroom and he'd pay rent and..." Darien trailed off hestitantly. Lita slammed down her fork and stormed out.  
"That went better than expected" Serena said brightly. Darien snorted in disbelief at his fiancée.  
"It's hopeless guys. Lita hates me." Nephrite said quietly. His eyes were downcast and his shoulders slumped. "It's so frustrating!" he suddenly exclaimed.

Darien watched his friend curiously. Nephrite was a passionate man. His emotions were volatile and intense, and despite Lita's constant disapproval of him for the last two years, Nephrite had always maintained the love he felt for her.  
"I'll talk to Lita" Darien offered. Serena looked at him in surprise.  
The two shared a long meaningful look which Nephrite couldn't decipher but apparently Serena had. She nodded once and her natural exuberance was replaced with quiet thoughtfulness.  
"Come help me cleanup" she commanded Nephrite. He did as he was bid, understanding that his Prince was about to help him out big time.

/\/\/\

"You know what the worst feeling is?" Darien asked as he sat down beside Lita on her bedroom floor. She didn't bother responding and instead continued to prune her little shrub in stony silence.  
"It's the feeling of being unloved and that's a feeling we both know too well." He stretched his legs and leant against her wall.  
"Before Serena, I felt isolated... lonely...cold inside. Her love was the spark that lit the flame inside my heart. I'm sorry for the corniness." He apologised with a swift smile. Lita returned a wan smile but said nothing.  
"But it's completely true. I felt myself become alive. I began to enjoy life and I felt whole again. Serena is my family and my other half; without her I'd be lost completely. You girls are trying so hard to fight against them, well except Mina, that you're driving away your chance to feel that completeness."

Lita sighed, Darien had a point. He and Serena had an annoying habit of always being right about these things. A part of her wanted to forgive Nephrite and give their relationship another try but a small part of her always wondered whether he truly repented his betrayal. Oh sure, they said a lot of pretty things and spoke of their deep remorse but he'd also said a lot of pretty things and spoken of his deep love before betraying Endymion and her. Her emotions were conflicted.

"When I was a little girl, I used to enjoy watching my mother cook." Lita began, "One day she turned the stove off and left the kitchen to answer the door. I was curious as to what made the food cook so I moved the pot and looked at the stove. I still didn't understand so I put my hand against the top of the stove and it burnt. But I've learnt my lesson now. I don't touch hot stoves because I don't want to be burnt a second time."  
Darien shrugged, "maybe the stove's cooled off but you'll never know now will you?" He stood up and gently patted Lita's shoulder before exiting her room to join the others. Lita banged her head against the floor several times once Darien left. Damn Serena for putting her in this mess, damn Darien for making so much sense and most of all damn Nephrite for making her want him so much.

/\/\/\

When Lita finally emerged from her room, she found the house empty and a little note sitting on the table top. It read:  
'_Gone out with Darien and Nephrite to find a hotel. Thanks for everything! Love Serena'_.  
Lita smiled fondly at the messy scrawl that was Serena's. She stared at the note, feeling slightly guilty for scaring her friends away. Nephrite was completing his masters degree in some economics thingy that Lita found terribly boring and he was also currently hard strapped for cash. He worked part-time at a mechanic to help pay for his rent but hotels were much more expensive. She examined the part of her that wanted to love him.

Why? Because he was passionate, beautiful, caring, smart, he loved dancing and eating and fine art, and most importantly he made her feel safe. But she couldn't trust him anymore. His sentiments of remorse and regret felt phoney and sounded flat to her ears like they were words he knew had to say but didn't quite believe. How could she love a man like that?

Yes, she knew he had been brainwashed and couldn't help his actions but didn't he feel even slightly guilty? She knew Darien had apologised endlessly to Serena for his temporary defection to Beryl's side, in fact he was still apologising 7 years on. Heck, Darien even apologised for _dying_ when Galaxia stole his star seed. That was definitely not his fault. She was at a loss now. Without any idea of what she was going to ask or say, Lita picked up her phone and dialled Rei's number.  
"Hey Lita" Rei greeted, "What's up?"  
"I need your advice about a guy"  
"Oh about a certain someone?" Rei asked, cottoning on quickly.  
The truth was Lita generally wouldn't turn to Rei for boy-advice because in general, Rei hated men. Most of the girls went to Mina (self-proclaimed goddess of love) or Serena (if you wanted more sane advice). Rei knew this and understood. Personally, she wouldn't have asked herself for advice anyway so the issue never bothered her. So for Lita to be calling up and asking for advice regarding a guy, Rei knew it had to have been a certain ex-traitor that was on her mind because Rei was the only one who had ever harboured intense anger towards them, just like Lita.

"Yeaahhh" Lita sighed, playing with the hem of her shirt. She explained the conflicting halves of her and how she just couldn't believe his words. Rei listened quietly, taking in everything that Lita was saying.  
"You know Lita, Serena and Darien are kinda right about the lot of us. I've been so afraid to fall in love that I've kinda forgotten how. I'm learning and believe me it's not easy. Jadeite and I have our good days and our bad days but every day I find myself able to trust him more and more. Is it possible that maybe you're not listening to what Nephrite's actually saying and instead just hearing what you want to hear?"  
Lita stared transfixed at the loose thread she had been playing with, the words sinking in.  
"You and I are similar. We are both trying so hard to protect ourselves that we're also blinding ourselves from the true reason as to why we can't love them. I always knew, deep down, that Jadeite loved me, and deep down you know that Nephrite hates himself for what he did. Maybe if you just let yourself listen, truly listen, to what he's saying you'd see he's not so bad."

/\/\/\

Nephrite helped Lita cook dinner that night. She found his presence to be not as irritating as she thought she would have. He didn't talk incessantly or try to help her when she didn't need help. Instead he observed her cooking, commenting every now and then and passing her utensils as she required them.  
"This is delicious" he complimented Lita warmly. She couldn't help but smile smugly. She knew her homemade pizzas were delicious.  
"So how did you get into cooking?" he asked curiously. Trying her hardest to be polite, she explained how she used to watch her mother cook and when her parents died she began the hobby to keep her mother's memory alive.  
"My parents died too" he said sadly. His lips trembled slightly and he ducked his head. Lita felt her heart twist painfully and she longed to comfort him. She wondered how they had died as she waited patiently for him to compose himself. As though reading her mind he looked up with a small sad smile, his eyes strangely glassy with unshed tears.  
"We were on a cruise and Beryl sank the ship. My parents drowned but she saved me so I could serve her. We were celebrating me starting university."  
And for the first time Lita decided to fight her fears and listen without her pre-conceived bias. She heard the way his voice broke slightly at the mention of his parents, how it was coloured with anger when he spoke of Beryl but also tinged with disgust. She looked at his clenched fist and reaching across, covered his hand with her own shaking hand. He looked up at her, startled, but didn't say a word.  
"I never listened to you properly before" she said in a voice raw with emotion. Nothing else was said and they remained sitting, hand in hand, until their food was cold.

Ami, Mina, Rei and Serena were sitting on the grass in the university courtyard waiting for Lita.  
"Where is she?" Mina complained, clutching her rumbling stomach. Just as she finished speaking a large picnic basket dropped onto the grass in front of her. Lita loomed over Mina with a smile.  
"Finally!" Sereba exclaimed lunging for the basket. As she gorged on the lunch Lita had packed, Rei and Ami exchanged looks.  
"Look at how she's just inhaling that" Rei said. Ami was watching Mina in fascination as she too fell onto the food with enthusiasm to rival Serena.  
"Where were you last Wednesday night Serena? I called your house but you weren't there." Ami asked suddenly. Serena looked up quickly and swallowed her food.  
"I was at Lita's" she said with a tone of finality. Ami looked at Serena suspiciously; she was obviously trying to hide something.  
"Oh I see. Well your mother invited me over for dinner tonight. She had been telling me about the lovely dinner you had that night and I think I might have sounded a little too interested."  
Serena's eyes widened briefly before returning to their usual state. She quickly glanced at Lita but apart from that nothing else suggested that anything was amiss.  
"Lovely? I thought you said you had a fight!" Lita said choking on her sandwich. Everyone turned to Serena who, remarkably, kept her countenance.  
"Just another one of my lessons. The fight actually happened but three days earlier." She said airily.  
"SERENAAAA!"

Serena jumped up quickly and crammed a sandwich in her mouth before sprinting away with Lita hot on her heels. Mina, Rei and Ami watched in amusement.  
"So... that leaves only you two" Rei pointed out. Mina and Ami looked at each other in fear.

* * *

Please review!

Next chapter:_ He raised his hand and his long fingers stroked the side of her face. Ami was frozen to the spot..._


	6. Lesson Three: Communication (Part A)

**A/N: **I'm back from vacation with a brand new chapter! This one is a lil bit shorter but i hope you like it anyway c:

thank you guys for the reviews, they encourage me to keep going!

Cosmyk Angel: Hi! While i love the anime, i use the manga background most of the time. So no Molly/Nephrite and Kunzite/Zoicite, i hope you aren't too disappointed!

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Lesson 3: Communication

_Part A: Unspoken Words_

Ami slung her heavy book bag over her shoulder and hurried out of class. She was enjoying the path to becoming a doctor very much but sometimes it was tiring. She looked forward to their upcoming summer break; 3 months of nothing but relaxing, reading and hanging out with her friends. She sat down underneath a brightly coloured umbrella in one of the small campus cafés and produced her favourite novel from the depths of her bag. She had just settled in for a little downtime with a good book and a delicious milkshake when Zoicite approached her.

"Hey Ami!" he greeted her happily.

Ami returned the greeting with equal friendliness. Unlike the other scouts, Ami had never really held their temporary evilness against them. Maybe it was because she was too nice or maybe it was simply because after all the fighting she had gone through, all Ami wanted was a bit of peace and forgiving and forgetting was the best route to peace. She gestured to the empty chair opposite her and invited him to join her.

"How are you going?" she asked politely as he ordered a coffee. He shrugged and wordlessly handed her an opened envelope. Curious, Ami scanned the contents of the envelope quickly. It was his academic transcript and boy was she impressed.

"Wow, this is amazing! You achieved the highest mark in nearly all your classes!"

"I missed out on a few" he said modestly. "Besides, if I'm not mistaken, you actually achieved the highest mark in _all _of your classes." He pointed out.

Ami blushed but didn't dispute the matter. After all it was true.

The good thing about Zoicite was that he didn't feel the need to talk to her every minute. Like now, noticing that Ami had been reading, he too retrieved his book from his bag and began to was a nice change.

She peeked over her book at him and observed him. He had light blonde hair that was longer than Ami's but held back in a pony tail. She had always been slightly impressed by the way he managed to look manly with long hair and not look like a slimy skeeze with a pony tail.

His features were pointed and slightly more feminine than what some of the others preferred. In Ami's opinion Zoicite was more like Darien than Nephrite.

His reading glasses were perched on his nose and his lips were quirked in a half-smile. She found herself fixated on the contours of his lips following the growing smile with her eyes. Without warning he leaned across the table until they were almost nose to nose. Ami gasped at the sudden movement.

"Why are you staring at me so intently Ms Mizuno?" he asked softly. His eyes twinkled merrily.

"I-I was... lost in thought" she spluttered, turning slightly red. He raised his hand and his long fingers stroked the side of her face.

Ami was frozen to the spot. Even she had wanted to move, her muscles seemed to have declared mutiny against her brain. He watched her carefully, waiting for her to say something. Maybe he wanted her to explain what she had been thinking about but the words wouldn't come and Ami was silent. He drew back looking slightly disappointed but quickly adopted a blank mask. They returned to their books in silence.

/\/\/\

Her encounter with Zoicite had her flustered and confused for the rest of the day. She caught a glimpse of his slight figure throughout the day running between classes but she didn't approach him. Her head was a mess and she didn't want him to know that.

"Mizuno?" the professor asked her. Ami looked up quickly and replayed his words in her answered him listlessly; her heart wasn't really in was currently more concerned with a handsome, intelligent blonde.

She remembered the first time Darien had introduced the shitennou. Ami had accepted it fairly quickly. She knew, even back in the Silver Millennium, that they weren't the same men. It hadn't removed the pain of betrayal completely but it did soothe it. Haruka and Michiru had also accepted the shitennou after only a short struggle. Lita and Rei were the worst but no one had expected better.

Her first encounter with one of them alone was with Kunzite.

She had been struggling with a load of books and had dropped several on the ground. Kunzite had been walking by at that moment and had offered her a hand. They had started talking and she had listen to him explain how they had ended up enslaved by Beryl for the second time, how they looked over and worried for their Prince from the stones they were imprisoned in and their regret and deep shame.

It had certainly left a strong impression on her. From then on she made an effort to get to know each one and befriend them. At first Ami had been determined to treat Zoicite the same as everyone else but it was like some invisible force pulled them together.

"Magnetism, that's what it is" Mina explained to her one day. Magnetism made sense. Two objects drawn to each other. That's how she felt about Zoicite.

After class, Ami hurried over to Michiru's house for a pool party. She had called Serena beforehand asking her to bring her bathing suit which she had forgotten. Upon arriving, Serena shoved a small bag into Ami's hands.

"I brought your bathing suit, so go get changed and meet us around the back" she commanded in a princess-y voice.

Ami complied with the wishes of her princess; it made her happy to make Serena happy. Ami slipped into a beautiful bathroom to change.

She liked their house immensely. It was just what a house ought to be in her opinion: orderly yet homey. The best part of the house however, was thepool. It was huge and never had she seen a backyard so delightfully designed. There was a volleyball court, lots of grassy space and a lovely paved entertaining area, all centred around the pool. Like Ami, Michiru loved to swim. They bonded over this interest.

Ami searched for her bathing suit in the bag but couldn't find the deep blue one-piece. Instead there was a modest 1950's inspired baby blue bikini. Ami groaned, of course Serena would try and spice up her wardrobe. She should've asked Rei to pack her bag for her next time. With a sigh, she changed into the swim suit and went to scold Serena.

* * *

_Next Chapter: She wanted to tell him that he was so incredibly wrong but she couldn't._


	7. Lesson Three: Communication (Part B)

**A/N: **Good day fair readers! I present thee another chapter! I'm trying to mark up for the shortness of the last chapter by giving you a nice long one and of course to thank you guys for your lovely comments, they really make my day c: I'm currently writing the last two chapters in the story so expect roughly 4 or 5 more chapters. ENJOY !

* * *

_Part B: Magnetic Pull_

Mina wolf-whistled loudly when Ami entered. Ami mentally corrected her previous assumption. It was obviously _Mina_ who had organised this new swimsuit.  
"Thank you Mina" she said to the acerbically. Mina just waggled her eyebrows and tossed her long blonde hair back. If truth be told, Ami was slightly envious of the stunning good-looks of her friends.

Mina was the classic blonde beauty, Lita had a statuesque elegance, Rei's dark hair and pale skin made her stand out in a crowd and Serena was as radiant as the moon itself. Then of course, there were the outer sailor scouts who were elegant and beautiful as well. In comparison, Ami felt like a bit of a turnip. A pretty turnip, but a turnip nonetheless.

She greeted each of her friends with quiet warmth that characterised all of her interactions. Serena and Rei were splashing around in the pool whilst Lita, Nephrite, Jadeite and Darien played a game of volleyball in the miniature volleyball court set up. Haruka, Setsuna and Mina were chatting amicably while tanning in the sun and Hotaru and _Kunzite_ were splashing each other. Yes, Kunzite. Kunzite who was about an emotional as a rock was playing with Hotaru.

She noticed that Zoicite was absent. Good.

"Ami!" Michiru called out to her. She was treading water by the side of the pool, her long aqua hair cascaded over her shoulders and almost bare back. Ami slipped into the water and joined her.

"Want to race? I've been waiting forever for you to come. You're the only one who gives me any competition after all" she winked playfully at Ami.

"I would love to" Ami replied with her own playful smirk. At first, she hated competing with Michiru but now that time had passed, it had become more and more enjoyable. She found the rivalry exhilarating.

"Would you like me to umpire for you?"

Ami whipped around to see Zoicite crouching beside the pool. He was shirtless as well. She tried hard not stare at his lean, muscular chest. She felt her face slowly redden and struggled to keep her emotions in check. Whilst Ami was distracted, Michiru shot her a sly look before enthusiastically agreeing to Zoicite's suggestion.

"Okay then, ready yourselves" he warned the two swimmers. They got ready and forced the others to clear a path for their little race. All eyes were now on them.

"On your mark, get set... go!" Zoicite shouted. Ami took a deep breath and pushed off from the wall with all her strength, trying her best to focus on the race and not on a certain blonde.

/\/\/\

"What happened out there?" Michiru asked between pants. Ami clutched her side, trying to massage the cramp. She looked at Michiru questioningly.

"what do you mean?" she said breathlessly.

Michiru paused, as though considering her next words carefully. "Well you seemed... distracted."

Ami was thrown off guard by this statement. Had she been that transparent?

"I was a little distracted" she confessed.

The older girl nodded in understanding, "you don't normally swim that badly" she teased lightly.

Ami frowned in mock anger and splashed water in Michiru's face. This began the water fight which only ended when Michiru called a truce. Gasping for breath, Ami collapsed onto one of the deck chairs. Michiru joined her moments later with two tall glasses of lemonade. She handed one to a grateful Ami.

"So what's bothering you?" she asked.

Ami was surprised by the question. It wasn't as though she and Michiru usually had heart to heart conversations. ..._along with the help of the outer sailor scout_... Serena's words drifted into Ami's mind. Of course! Serena was trying to teach Ami a lesson in what was it? Oh yes, communicating. Her eyes scanned the backyard quickly, zeroing on Serena who was eating pizza and talking to Zoicite. She watched carefully and noted how Serena would ever so slightly glance in her direction every now and then. Yes, this was definitely planned.

"Ami?" Michiru prodded the other girl.

"Oops! Sorry! I was lost in thought" Ami apologised. Ami quickly considered her options. She could either try and fight Serena's crazy schemes or go along with it.

"I like Zoi" Ami blurted out. Michiru's eyes flashed with momentary triumph but it soon died away.

"He's nice isn't he?" she said casually, fishing for more information.  
"Let me clarify: I like him as more than a friend. I believe it is more of a romantic attachment" Ami said the words quickly, trying to get Serena's ridiculous lessons out of the way now.

"So does he know?"

Ami shook her head, "I don't think he does. At least he's never given any indication that he does."

"So why don't you tell him?" Michiru asked the other 'lessons' had been orchestrated as plainly as this one had been, Ami couldn't understand how Rei and Lita hadn't cottoned on faster.

"Because I don't know how to. I don't know what to say to him because he's smart and attractive and I'm... and I'm not! How am I supposed to say the right words to convey all of this to him!"

The words started pouring out of her now. She couldn't help but divulge her insecurities. This must be what Serena had been banking on: the trust between friends. Michiru looked flabbergasted at Ami's statement.

"Ami, it doesn't matter if the words aren't perfect. The important part is that you say them because he has no idea what's going on inside your head." Michiru lectured the younger girl kindly.

"I know that but... it's so difficult..." Ami said plaintively.

"The first time I looked at the ocean I was so afraid. It was so huge and I was so small but in the end I took a deep breath and dived in." Michiru advised and without saying another word she got up and marched over to Zoicite.

Ami looked on in horror. What was she saying to him?! Zoicite was evidently confused as he followed Michiru back over to Ami (Serena looked very smug).

"Ami needs help applying sun lotion" Michiru said, slapping a bottle of lotion in Zoicite hand. Ami's eyes grew large in shock. She couldn't even find the words to express her extreme abhorrence of the plan. Zoicite however was quite compliant.

"I'd be delighted to help. By the way, you better go and help the girls in the kitchen. I'm afraid they're going to burn it down soon." Michiru nodded and rushed off to stop the imminent destruction of her house.

/\/\/\

Ami couldn't do anything but stare at Zoicite.

She was like a deer frozen in the headlights of a car. He smiled fondly at her unease but did nothing to alleviate it. He turned away to grab an umbrella to shade Ami from the mid-day heat. Ami was surprised to see a large tattoo on his back. It was a phoenix with its wings spread. Each wingtip curled around his shoulders and the phoenix tail trailed to the bottom of his back. She felt a strong desire to run her finger along the intricate lines of the tattoo.

"Do you like it?" he asked as he set up the umbrella. Ami knew that he knew she had been staring at it while his back was turned. She nodded,

"it's beautiful" she whispered in awe. Zoicite grinned at the approbation and gently pulled her onto her back. For some reason, Ami did not resist him. She felt herself relax underneath his hands as they slowly rubbed the sun lotion into her skin.

It was just a moment of insanity, she told herself, and it would pass soon enough.

"I'm glad you think so. Ami can I ask you a question?"

"Okay" Ami mumbled into her arms. Zoicite's hands paused for a moment before resuming.

"Would you ever consider us becoming anything more than friends?"

Ami gasped. Had he really just asked her that? A billion emotions and thoughts exploded into her mind. What would happen if it ended badly? They couldn't go back to just being friends. It would ruin the whole group dynamic. She wasn't good enough for him. He was beautiful and she was the turnip of the group!

She felt his hands disappear from her skin and immediately turned around to look at him. He was kneeling on the ground beside her deck chair so they were eye to eye. His bright green eyes reflected disappointment, she couldn't look at them. He seemed to have misunderstood her gasp.

"I knew it was a long shot. But Ami, I need to hear you say it. I can't stand this waiting around and hoping anymore! Please just put me out of my misery" He pleaded.

"Say what?" Ami forced out.

"That you don't think of me in that way, that you're too good for me, that I'm nothing but a traitor who doesn't deserve a second chance with you or with anyone. Confirm what I already know."

Ami's jaw dropped. This was wrong. It was perverse. He shouldn't feel this way. She wanted to tell him that he was so incredibly wrong but she couldn't. The words were stuck in her throat. She slowly forced her eyes up to meet his. She was then distracted by a certain blonde waving her arms around a few metres away from them. She stared at Serena in confusion until she realised that Serena was mouthing something.

_Talk._

She was mouthing 'talk'. She should've felt embarrassed at the fact that she and Zoicite had an eager audience (everyone was gathered behind Serena whispering and watching them) but she didn't. In fact, in a way she never thought it would, it emboldened her and gave her courage. To know that her friends were supportive and stood behind her 100% was truly something. She turned her attention back to Zoicite. He was ridiculously patient, it was a quality she admired. Michiru's advice sounded in her mind and taking a deep breath Ami focused on what Serena had asked her to do.

"I think _you're_ too good for _me._" said Ami. Zoicite scoffed and began to protest but Ami cut him off. "Listen, you're intelligent and you work at a pharmaceutical company without having even obtained the necessary qualifications! You are beautiful... sometimes..." Ami blushed deeply but continued speaking. She had to get the words out otherwise she'd go insane.

"Sometimes it takes my breath away. I don't think of you as a traitor at all. I never did. The man who worked for Metallia isn't you. You aren't that person and you never were. He was the creation of brainwashing and darkness and I don't blame you one bit. I never have. If... if you still want to, I would... like to further our relationship."

Her declaration was met with cheers from their audience. She watched Zoicite's face desperately. She needed to know that she hadn't just made a fool out of herself. The slowly growing grin plastered across his face told her everything she needed to know.

In a rare moment of zero inhibitions, Ami threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. Zoicite was taken by complete surprise but responded with enthusiasm. If Ami thought the cheering before was excessive, it was nothing compared to explosion of screams and whooping that followed the kiss. By the time that she pulled away, they were swept up amongst their congratulating friends.

"You did it Ami! You learned to communicate!" Serena yelled above the noise. Michiru held up a bottle of champagne.

"Let's have a toast to the happy couple!" she declared. This was met with agreement.

"Guys, slow down, we aren't getting married" Zoicite said in half-exasperated tone.

Mina snorted, "Please, we've been waiting for you guys to get it on for aaggeesss."

"About time too." Kunzite agreed in his deep voice.

"You too are so cute together" Hotaru chimed in, "Also can I have champagne too Setsuna-mama?" she asked innocently. Setsuna snatched flute away from Hotaru and shook her head.

"Nope too young, but I will toast the happy couple twice!" she said, downing the second glass. Zoicite and Ami shook their heads at the antics of their friends but it was nice to know that they cared so much. Ami felt Zoicite's arm snake around her shoulders. The weight of his arm was comforting and it seemed entirely natural that he should keep his arm there.

Ami caught Serena's eye in the midst of a bout of pool wrestling- Serena vs Rei. Serena grinned brightly at her and gave her two enthusiastic thumbs up, whilst she sat atop Darien's shoulders. Rei, detecting Serena's temporary distraction, managed to push the poor girl off Darien's shoulders into the pool. A bubble of laughter escaped from Ami and she buried her face in Zoicite's chest as Serena wailed in the background.  
"Are you alright?" he whispered in her ear.  
"Yes" Ami reassured. She looked up, her eyes sparkling with mirth, "I just have amazing friends."

/\/\/\

Ami lay facing Zoicite's back, carefully tracing the phoenix tattoo with her finger. He rolled over and gazed at her, drinking in the sight of her.

"Why do always do that?" she asked him as he wrapped his arms around her petite body, pulling her against his chest.

"Do what?" he murmured into her soft blue hair.

"Stare at me like that"

Zoicite chuckled. The sound of his laughter sent shivers down her spine.

"Because you're the most beautiful creature I have ever seen." He kissed her soundly to prevent her from protesting.

Ami snuggled into his arms and pulled the blanket over their shoulders. Ami outlined the contour of his lips with a finger. She loved the shape of them. Zoicite opened one eye lazily,

"Why are staring at me so intently Miss Mizuno?" he asked. Ami recalled a very similar situation occurring only two weeks ago, just before she had finally given in to the magnetic pull.

"Is it too brash for me to say 'I love you'?" Ami flushed slightly as she said this. She was still growing accustomed to putting her heart out on the line. Zoicite's eyes widened in surprise but he quickly shook his head.

"Not at all." He choked out. Ami grinned impishly at him.

"I love you" she whispered in his ear. She felt his trembling hands run down her bare back as the words sunk in.

"I love you too. Always. Forever more." He responded, his voice was raw with emotion and tears clouded his eyes.

They descended into silence, relishing the presence of each other. Ami reflected on the events of the past few weeks. It was inevitable, she thought as she played with a loose strand of his blonde hair. Like Darien and Serena, she and Zoicite were inexplicably drawn together. Their destinies were forever intertwined. Mina was right, it was simply magnetism.

* * *

_next chapter: "Calm down Mina, it's just a date." Said Artemis, trying to placate her. Mina made a face and turned away from the window..._


	8. Lesson Four: Perseverance (Part A)

**A/N: **So i've technically finished writing the whole story! 41 pages and 24k words. I still have a lot of editing to of the last part but dont worry guys, the wedding will take up a good 3/4 chapters and there is also epilogue! But i digress, today is Mina's turn to deal with Serena's interference. This was one of the hardest chapters to write and I spent most of the weeks in between posting chapters 1 to 4 on this. I'm fairly happy with it now so hopefully my lovely readers enjoy it to!

* * *

Lesson 4: Perseverance

_Part A: The Date_

"So let me get this straight. You spent the night at Zoi's house... in his bed." Mina said slowly.

Lita, Rei, Serena, Haruka and Hotaru were all leaning in, waiting for Ami's confirmation. Ami nodded once and quickly hid her burning face behind a magazine. What followed was a series of joyful squeals.

"That is so romantic!" Hotaru said dreamily. Rei shook her head in disapproval.

"Look at what you've done to Hotaru!" she scolded Mina and Serena. But they were too busy fishing for details about Ami's night with Zoicite to pay attention to the shrine maiden.

"Says the one who has apparently passed the weekend at Jadeite's house?" Haruka commented slyly. Rei flushed and became suddenly very interested in what Ami was saying. Lita giggled at the satisfied smirk on Haruka's face. The twinkle in Ami's eye and her quiet excitement was infectious and created an atmosphere of content.

"So Mina what happened between you and Kunzite last night at the restaurant?" Rei asked casually. Mina grimaced angrily and stabbed her milkshake with her straw. This drew concerned looks from the girls.

"He said that I should stop chasing after him before I embarrass myself before leaving with some woman."

The outraged cries from her friends were enough to lift her mood.

"How could he say that?" Lita railed angrily. She cracked her knuckles menacingly and looked towards the door. Haruka hurriedly placed a restraining hand on Lita's shoulder.

"That wasn't very nice of him" Hotaru said in a strained voice.

Inexplicably, she and Kunzite had become good friends but when it came to the issue of his relationship (or non-relationship) with Mina, she was torn. Ami and Rei simply looked sympathetic but didn't bother saying anything. They knew that their words wouldn't help Mina.

"Are you okay?" Serena asked gently.

Mina nodded brusquely. Before, she would've maybe cried about the incident but now all she felt was anger. He had humiliated her in front of everyone and crushed her emotions. To him, she was nothing but a blip on his radar and an annoying blip at that.

"I'm done with him. I'm sick and tired of rejection."

Haruka approved of Mina's words and passed her a small slip of paper.

"Good on you and I maybe know someone that can help you move on." She said slyly. Mina unfolded the paper and read it quickly. It said: _Alex Winters, 03- 287-445_.

/\/\/\

Artemis was waiting for her on her bed when she got home from the parlour.

"Why are you so happy?" he asked her suspiciously. Mina rolled her eyes at him. Honestly, you put a little Tabasco sauce in his dinner once and he never lets you forget it!

"It's just nice to see Ami, Rei and Lita getting along with the generals." she said picking up Artemis and patting his head. She found it a relaxing activity.  
"Will _you_ be getting better acquainted with Kunzite?"

Mina blushed profusely and shook her head, "I don't think so Art. At least not any time soon."

Artemis seemed pleased with this answer. Of course he did. He hated Kunzite and Mina didn't know why.

"Besides after last night, I think it's time for me to move on." Mina said quietly, her good mood evaporating fast. Artemis felt slightly guilty for what he said and apologised.

"I'm sorry I brought him up... he's just been weighing on your mind a lot lately and you know I dislike him..."

"Why?"Mina asked curiously. Artemis shook his head in disbelief and jumped out of Mina's arms and began pacing the room.

"I can't like him when I see him break your heart every day by refusing to acknowledge your existence. I can't like him when I see you cry into your pillow nights on end because of _him_. But most of all I hate him because he's going to take you away from me and you're like a daughter to me!" Artemis stopped pacing and looked up at Mina.

Her eyes filled with tears at his words and she squashed him in a tight hug.

"You're the best Artemis and don't you worry, I've decided to give up on him." she said tearfully. Artemis wheezed out something intelligible and Mina quickly let go of him.

"Sorry" she apologised sheepishly. He waved aside her concerns and nudged her towards the bathroom.

"Go get ready for bed, it's getting late."

Mina shot him a watery smile and went and got ready for bed. She was lucky to have him as her friend and mentor and what he said before had really touched her.

/\/\/\

Mina brushed her long blonde hair back into a high pony tail and fastened her customary red bow around it. She glanced nervously out the window in case Alex arrived early. Artemis prowled around her room, affected by her nervous energy.

"Calm down Mina, it's just a date." Said Artemis, trying to placate her. Mina made a face and turned away from the window.

"You're right. It's just the first date I've been on in awhile. What if he doesn't like me?" she fretted. Artemis smiled and nuzzled her arm.

"He'll like you" he assured her.

Mina was about to respond when she heard a knock at the door. She ran down the stairs and quickly paused in front of a hallway mirror to check her hair before opening the door. Alex Winters was attractive and there was no denying this point. His face was perfectly sculpted with high cheekbones and a strong jaw line. His dark brown wavy hair was cropped short and brushed so perfectly that not a strand was out of place. To top it all off, he wore a black suit and was carrying a bouquet of flowers.

"You must be Mina" he flashed her a winning smile. Mina giggled in a high girlish voice.

"Oh yes, that's me! It's a pleasure to meet you"

Alex held out the crook of his arm and indicated towards the waiting car. Mina smiled graciously and linked her arm with his. She was thoroughly enjoying her first date of many years very much.

Mina and Alex stood patiently outside the ballet waiting for the doors to open. She smoothed down the front of her light yellow dress which hugged her womanly figure.

"Did I mention that you look divine tonight?" Alex whispered in her ear, fondling a strand of blonde hair.

"Only every 10 minutes" said Mina, lightly slapping his arm. Alex looked down at his date with a bemused smile.

She was, simultaneously, not what he had expected and better than what he had expected. Knowing Haruka, he had assumed that her 'close' friend would be a tomboy type of girl. Instead she was a gorgeous blonde bombshell and he was hoping she was easy. He felt Mina tense beside him and scanned the foyer quickly. It was filled with very well-to-do people in elegant dresses and tuxedos.

"What's wrong?" he muttered.

Mina scowled in the direction of a man with long platinum blonde hair. Alex's mouth fell open in shock. It couldn't be... _Kunzite Milieu-Est_! He was one of the richest men in Japan and the youngest CEO of their generation. Beside him stood a young girl, no more than 18, with short black hair and pretty purple eyes. She seemed oblivious to what was happening around her, instead absorbed in reading the program in her hands.

"You know that guy?" Alex asked in awe. Mina's scowl deepened as she and Kunzite made eye contact. His expression was stony and forbidding.

"A little too well" she said through gritted teeth.

Alex was startled by her response and made to question her further. He thought perhaps that she was jealous of the younger girl but before he had the chance, the doors were opened and the question soon flew from his mind as he looked forward to sitting with his date in the darkened theatre.

Mina watched the ballet in wonder. She had never been before and the beauty, grace and strength of the dancers took her breath away.

She was so focused on the ballet that she didn't notice Alex rest his hands on her knee. He began to creep his hand up her leg and it was only until he reached her thigh did she notice. Mina disapproved of his forwardness but pasted a benevolent smile on her face and subtly removed his hand.

"This is amazing" she said in hushed tones, trying to divert his attention. However Alex caught on and was not to be swayed.

"Come on baby, don't be like that. I just want to get to know you better" he put one arm around her shoulders and the other hand on her thigh again.

Mina's temper began to simmer but she held it in. With a demeanour of forced calmness she pushed his hand off of her leg.

"You can get to know me better without touching me." she hissed at him. "Besides this is a public place!"

Alex smirked and to Mina's horror, cupped one of her breasts with his hands.

"Oh please, you're slutty and you know it. Don't deny it babe"

Mina shoved him away and furiously stormed out of the theatre. Alex watched her go in disgust but made no attempt to apologise. He didn't have time for girls that didn't put out.

/\/\/\

She stood outside in the warm summer breeze, sniffling. So much for 'goddess of love'! She couldn't even go on one normal date.

"Mina?" Setsuna called out from across the street. Noticing the obvious distress of the younger girl, Setsuna ran over.

"What happened?" she said kindly. There was something so motherly in the way Setsuna spoke to her that all of the carefully built walls Mina had built broke and she found herself sobbing into Setsuna's arms.

"That guy was such a creep" she managed to say through her tears after explaining what had just happened.

"I'm going to kill him for trying to pull that kind of crap on you" Setsuna muttered murderously. She led Mina over to a small lounge coffee area beside the foyer and sat her down. She disappeared for a few minutes but returned with a cup of tea.

"Why are you here?" Mina questioned Setsuna.

"I'm picking up Hotaru and taking her to the airport. She's going to visit Michiru and Haruka in England"

Mina had forgotten that the duo had disappeared on a violin concert tour around England.

"I saw her here with Kunzite" Mina mentioned casually as she sipped on her tea.

Setsuna nodded absentmindedly. Mina mulled over her next question. She knew that Hotaru and Kunzite were friends (bizarrely) and that Hotaru confided in Setsuna... maybe Setsuna could offer Mina third hand knowledge of Kunzite.

"Why does he push me away?" She finally plucked up the courage to ask. Setsuna contemplated the question carefully. Serena had given her explicit instructions and she had to make sure she followed them.

"I think Kunzite tries to carry the mistakes of every one of his generals. He makes their mistakes his and as a consequence he feels that he has to atone for four men's mistakes instead of one. I believe that by depriving himself of any form of relationship with you, he's attempting to punish himself."

Mina huffed and drained the last of her tea and threw the Styrofoam cup in the bin.

"That's ridiculous!" she grumbled "There is no need for him to punish himself. It was a _mistake_ not a crime!"

Setsuna shrugged, "maybe it is ridiculous but I hope you understand that this isn't easy for him either."

Mina considered Setsuna's words and groaned. She just didn't know what to do now. Setsuna leaned in, her eyes warm and friendly. "Do you love him?"

Mina scoffed, "I don't love him! Not yet! I like him as a person, that's for sure. I mean he's kind and caring to everyone but me and he's intelligent as well but I barely know him. It's funny though, I can feel my heart being tugged towards him and I think if we actually spent some time together I would fall in love with him instantly. If he's anything like the man I used to know –"

"Oh he is" Setsuna confirmed.

"well then I know that we fit together perfectly." Mina concluded.

Setsuna grinned inwardly. All Mina needed now was a little encouragement and then if she could contrive a way to push Kunzite and Mina together the lesson would be complete!

"I think you should keep trying with Kunzite. Don't give up on him yet because if you do he'll push you so far away that you'll never get him back."

Mina and Setsuna fell into a companionable silence, each contemplating their conversation, as they waited for the show to end. Mina replayed Setsuna's words and decided that perhaps there was something in what she had said.

* * *

Please review!

_Next chapter: Mina couldn't believe her luck, they were playing right into her hand..._


	9. Lesson Four: Perseverance (Part B)

**A/N: **Yes a new chapter! And we finally see the end of the girls' lessons.

In relation to a review that said Setsuna's advice wasn't that great, I actually completely agree! *Headcanon* But Serena would wait for her true love. That's the type of person I envision her to be so naturally she thinks/knows Mina should as well and asks Setsuna to give her this advice. Anyway, the review gave me an idea and next week you'll not only get a new chapter but also cut-scene from FLaaW that shows you just how Serena goes about setting all these lessons up.

Just letting you know that the story is completely finished and all set to go for posting :) So expect a new weekly chapter!

And finally, thank you to everyone that reviewed. They really motivate me to get off my ass and post these chapters *formatting is so painful*! So please keep leaving me messages!

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_Part B: The Plan_

"Did you remember to pack my gifts?" a soft voice startled Mina.

Hotaru stood behind Mina and smiled sweetly. Behind her, people were pouring out of the theatre talking animatedly about the spectacle they had just watched. To Mina's dismay she was accompanied by Kunzite. He nodded curtly at Mina and Setsuna and then remained silent. Setsuna and Hotaru had a quick exchange before Hotaru turned her attention to Mina.

"Didn't you like the ballet Mina? I saw you leave early."

"Oh no, it turns out my date was more interested in sexually harassing me than watching the show but from what I saw it was beautiful" she said airily as though trying to play down her distress.

Kunzite's blank face flickered for a second, displaying his anger. Setsuna noticed this and decided that Serena was right. All Kunzite and Mina needed was a little shove in the right direction.

"Kunzite, Mina has had a terrible night and I don't feel uncomfortable letting her go home by herself. Would you please take her? I have to take Hotaru to the airport." Setsuna asked in a tone that allowed for no arguments.

Kunzite nodded once and they all said their farewells. Mina was secretly dreading the next part of her evening. This was the first time she had been alone with him since they're last argument.

/\/\/\

"Of course you'd have a limo" Mina said as a chauffeur opened her door for her.

Kunzite couldn't help but smirk at her comment. He reflected on what Mina had said before about the conclusion of her date. He of course had seen him earlier in the evening and had taken an immediate dislike to him. Kunzite sighed internally. Who was he kidding? He disliked almost any man Mina seemed to favour. He seethed with anger at the idea that he might've forced himself onto her.

"What did he do?" his burning desire to know finally overcame his desire to keep her at arm's length. Mina looked up at him in surprise but answered in a relatively steady voice.

"Groped me in public and called me a slut." Kunzite hissed angrily and clenched his fists. He so desperately wanted to wring that man's neck. Mina's downcast expression and trembling lips caught his eye.

"He was wrong to do that to you" Kunzite offered her his handkerchief. Mina dabbed her eyes and pasted a watery smile on her face. It was so evidently fake that it made him cringe.

"I was wrong to expect a gentleman. It's obvious to me now that I'm incapable of attracting a decent man" Mina muttered bitterly.

Kunzite felt the full force of her statement regardless of whether she meant to refer to him or not. He had not behaved fairly towards Mina and the thought plagued him constantly.

Mina didn't understand the feeling of complete and utter failure. He had failed everyone and to be frank, Kunzite wasn't sure he deserved to even have this second chance. He knew Mina didn't blame him or think less of him, she had told him herself on several occasions, but he couldn't bring himself to accept her love.

_This_ was his punishment.

Seeing the fear and anxiety in her eyes when she looked at him when before they held love, was the constant reminder of his guilt and treachery. He would see Mina fall in love with another man and start a new life and that would be his ultimate punishment for his sins. The only thing he regretted was the short-term effect it had on Mina. To see her so glum and listless due to his cold attitude cut deep.

Mina contemplated the insight into Kunzite that Setsuna had volunteered. As far as she could see there were two options. The first, she would give up on Kunzite and be separated from her soul mate for the rest of their lives (being the 'goddess of love' told her that much) and the second option is that she fight against him and in typical stubborn-Kunzite fashion, he would fight back just as hard and they would both end up hurt. Mina concluded that both options sucked. A lot. She didn't understand why he had to punish himself anyway! Everyone else had forgiven him why couldn't he... and then Mina realised... a third option.

"I wish you didn't hate me so much and that we could be like the others." Mina said quietly.

She wasn't looking at him but instead was staring out the window of the limousine. The bright lights of Tokyo illuminated her face in an unnatural way, making her look paler than usual. Kunzite was visibly taken aback by her words.

"I don't hate you, not at all!" he replied. Mina laughed humourlessly in an attempt to provoke him.

"Do you not remember what you said to me to the other night or is that how you treat your friends?" Mina spat in anger. Remorse coloured his features and he gripped his coat tightly.

"Setsuna says it's because you're punishing yourself." She said in a matter-of-fact tone yet Kunzite remained silent.

Mentally cursing, she decided to further berate him, "Do you not see how stupid this is? You made one mistake and you're going to _destroy_ me in order to punish yourself"

"Mina, You're being ridiculous" he said in a strained voice, finally breaking his silence.

"Me?" she cried in outrage, "_You_ are the ridiculous one! This is hurting me too! Is that what you want?!"

"No! Of course not!" Kunzite shouted. His facade broke down and all Mina could see was anguish on his face. He gripped his hair in his hands and took deep shuddering breaths.

She reached out and grabbed his hand. "You're a good man and I know you will never willingly betray Endymion or me again" she said softly, looking at him with bright blue eyes.

Kunzite shook his head. His throat was stuck and the words along with it.

"It's not that easy" he managed to choke out.

"It _is_ that easy" Mina responded emphatically. She looked out the window and sighed.

"Why is this car ride taking so long?" she complained to the chauffeur. The driver jumped in their seat.

"I'm sorry ma'am. I got lost" he responded sheepishly.

Mina frowned at the voice. It sounded unnaturally low and gruff. She was staring at the rearview mirror, trying to get a glimpse of the driver when she made eye-contact with 'his' cerulean blue eyes. Mina withheld a groan.

/\/\/\

Mina waited outside the Tsukino residence for her meddlesome friend to emerge. She could hear Serena's wailing as she realised she was late for something or other. As she sprinted out of her house, she stopped dead at the sight of Mina.

"Oh Mina! If we go together then Rei can't yell at us for being" Serena exclaimed brightly.

"Since when do you drive limos?" Mina asked cutting right to the chase. Serena blushed and mumbled something incoherently.

"Geez Serena! Please, please, please don't tell me you had Haruka set me up with a douchebag, or worse pay him to be a jerk, and then purposely have Setsuna there ready to give me advice that you told her to say and then use your Luna-pen to disguise yourself as Kunzite's limo driver."

"Alright I won't tell you." Serena replied smarmily.

Mina rolled her eyes and the two of them walked towards the temple. To Mina's surprise Serena didn't attempt to pester the details from her. She figured that Serena had already checked in with Setsuna and Darien and along with whatever she had heard last night as the limo driver, Mina had a shrewd idea that Serena was very well informed.

When they arrived at Rei's temple, they were surprised by the presence of Jadeite and Kunzite. To Mina's amusement, they were both dressed in traditional temple clothes and were sweeping the front court yard whilst muttering under their breath. Ami, Lita and Rei were sitting nearby laughing and drinking lemonade. It turned out, Jadeite lost a bet and had somehow dragged Kunzite into it. As Serena and Mina approached, Rei called the men over and offered them refreshments.

"So how was your date last night?" Lita questioned Mina curiously. Mina made a displeased face and avoided eye contact with Kunzite and Serena.

"Terrible. He tried to grope me during the middle of the ballet!"

The girls and Jadeite broke out into loud, angry rants and Mina was surprised to see Serena join in as though she hadn't planned the whole thing. Her princess had certainly become more devious as she had grown older. Mina blamed Darien.

"Yeah but I spoke to him this morning" Mina continued loudly over the top of them. The all immediately quietened to hear the rest of the story,

"he apologised and I forgave him for what he did and he's going to try and lay off the alcohol. He's moving on with his life" She followed her last words with a pointed look at Kunzite.

"It's just like how I tried to forgive Kunzite but he refused to accept my forgiveness because he's 'punishing' himself."

"What! That's stupid." Lita said.

Mina couldn't believe her luck, they were playing right into her hand. Hopefully if Kunzite could see that it wasn't just Mina who thought it was ridiculous, he'd finally be convinced. Kunzite's face was carefully blank but Mina could see the inner turmoil in the way that his mouth was very slightly downturned and the slight furrow in his brow. Her whole plan rested on her belief that Kunzite still cared for her and didn't want to upset her in any way. She could almost see the two sides of his heart arguing against each other but she knew that his need to make her happy would win in the end. This was why she couldn't give up on him.

"You know this is only hurting Mina as well" Rei immediately jumped into the conversation.

Serena and Ami nodded in agreement. Jadeite quickly grabbed a broom and mumbled an excuse. He knew where this was going and didn't want to get caught up.

"Which is why you should stop trying to punish yourself! Punishment isn't the only way to right a wrong." Mina said directly to Kunzite. A silence fell over the group as they watched for Kunzite's reaction.

A war was raging inside Kunzite's heart. He so desperately wanted to accept Mina's offer of forgiveness and reconciliation but...he thought back to his conversation with Darien this morning.

_"You were given this second chance for a reason"_

_"Third" Kunzite corrected. Darien rolled his eyes and dismissed his comment with a wave of his hand._

_"So instead of wasting it by punishing yourself why don't you just use it for good. Make Mina happy and atone for your mistakes that way."_

_Kunzite was stunned. He had never thought about it that way._

_"Is this part of Serena's plan?" he asked Darien suspiciously. Darien shrugged noncommittally._

_"Whether it is or it isn't doesn't lessen what I said." _

In truth he was tired of trying to fight her and their undeniable connection. He couldn't live without her. The way she was full of life and so vivacious, yet serious and solemn. The way her long hair tumbled over her shoulders and seemed to glow in sunlight. The way she could read his emotions even through the mask he put on. He needed her and perhaps it was time to take Darien's advice.

"You're right" he finally said. Mina's heart skipped a beat as she heard his words. She didn't make a movement, scarcely breathing, as she waited for him to continue. He ran a hand through his long platinum blonde hair and sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry" he whispered. "I've been trying so hard to punish myself but I never saw that there was another way." A bubble of laughter escaped from Mina's lips and she threw herself onto him, hugging him tightly.

This promptly turned into a group hug as the other girls joined in, celebrating their reconciliation.

"Darien came through for me!" Mina whispered to Serena. Serena tapped the side of her nose knowingly and winked merrily, she had also known he would.

The girls eventually let go of Kunzite and he hurried away to join Jadeite in pruning the hedges, before he could be dragged into another excessively long hug. As they worked he told his friend of what happened.

"Finally!" Jadeite exclaimed. He thumped Kunzite on the back in approval.

"Darien's right. Mina's right. Everybody's right except for me" Kunzite admitted rather ruefully. Jadeite grinned at his words.

"There's always a first time for everything." He teased eliciting a smile from his friend.

/\/\/\

Kunzite watched Mina as she dozed on his couch. She had come over today to play video games and he had to admit, she was very good. They were, what their friends called, 'casually seeing each other'. He and Mina weren't nearly as intimate as the other couples in their little group but they were happy with just being what they were. The more he learned about her, the more he loved her. All her flaws and quirks only increased his love for her. The past three weeks had been something of a dream, something he never thought he would ever experience again. Boy, was Kunzite glad that Serena, Darien and even Mina herself had schemed against him.

She yawned sleepily and opened one eye.

"Hello sleepy" Kunzite greeted warmly, a rare smile forming on his face. "I had the nicest dream" Mina said as she rubbed her eyes. Kunzite raised an eyebrow in a silent question.

"Come here" Mina commanded.

Nonplussed, Kunzite obeyed and moved towards her. Mina kept urging him forward until he was hovering right above her face, his long hair creating a curtain.

"I'll show you what happened" her voice had taken on a husky quality and before Kunzite could react, she pulled his face down and kissed him deeply.

When they broke apart he searched his mind for something to say but it was completely blank. Mina beamed at him and pulled him on top of her.

When Kunzite finally regained his senses, he managed to croak out, "thank you for never giving up on me".

Mina shook her head in amusement and answered him with another kiss.

* * *

_Next week: Serena ignored her and grabbed two of the 17 duffel bags and neatly stowed them into the boot of Darien's car..._


	10. Cut Scene

**A/N: **Bonus chapter! yay! The usual one will be uploaded within the next day or two!

* * *

_Cut-Scene: Before Lesson 4 (Part A)_

"...and that's the plan!" Serena beamed at her friends with excitement.

Setsuna and Haruka exchanged amused looks.

"Are you sure it's going to work? There are a lot of variables..." Haruka advised gently. She didn't want to put a damper on Serena's mood, not after the undeniable success of her first three schemes.

"Of course it's going to work. I _know_ the girls like the back of my hand and I know that Mina will go on the date." Serena assured them confidently.

Setsuna supposed that particular matter was settled, it wasn't like Serena could be talked out of this anyway, but she did have another issue.

"Serena," she began slowly, "do you think that...well...personally I'm not sure that your advice for Mina is particularly... great." She finished lamely.

Serena's eyes widened in surprise.

"You think so?" she asked in a confused voice.

Setsuna nodded and hastened to explained, "It's just that I don't really agree with waiting around for some guy to see that you're worth it."

Serena considered Setsuna's words carefully and looked towards the other three girls.

"Michiru? Haruka? Hotaru?"

Michiru twirled a strand of aquamarine hair around her finger and glanced towards Haruka.

"I couldn't live without Haruka so I would wait for her." She said finally.

Haruka smirked at her girlfriend and lazily draped her arm around Michiru's shoulders.

"Well I can't disagree now, can I?" she teased, earning a light punch from Michiru.

"I think Setsuna-mama has a point." Hotaru said pensively, "You shouldn't waste your entire life pining after someone, "

Setsuna gave her an approving nod.

"but I also think that Kunzite is a good man who just need a very big shove in the right direction." Hotaru continued,

"In essence, I don't think there's any general rule but perhaps if Mina believes that Kunzite is her soul mate and one true love blah blah blah, she should be advised to wait for him." Hotaru finished to stunned silence from the others.

"You're getting very wise little one." Michiru complimented fondly, stroking her daughter's hair. Hotaru grinned at the praise and looked towards her other mother.

Setsuna seemed to be contemplating Hotaru's words in furrowed silence.

"Mina would never be happy with anyone other than her soul mate." Serena reminded Setsuna.

/\/\/\

At length, Setsuna agreed to give Mina that advice.

"If you think that this is what Mina's needs then I trust your judgement."

Serena cheered exuberantly and pulled out a bright pink notebook, switching to a more serious expression.

"I'll just remind you of the plan. First, Michiru gives Alex Winters the two tickets the ballet and mentions Mina. Make her sound desirable so he definitely takes her with him. Then, Haruka will give Mina Alex's number. Are you sure he's a jerk?" she clarified.

"He definitely is. He's known for trying to get with a girl on the first date." Michiru said with a disapproving expression. She hesitated but she had to ask Serena "Are you sure you thi—".

"It _will_ work." She interrupted Michiru excitedly, "Trust me!"

When Michiru looked at Serena's smile and twinkling eyes she felt her anxiety slip away. Serena would never put any of her friends in any situation she didn't believe they were capable of handling.

"So then Hotaru, you ask Kunzite to take you to the ballet and Setsuna will come early to pick you up... running into Mina! Don't approach them until you are sure Mina and Sets have had a nice long conversation. Setsuna will then ask Kunzite to take Mina home. If Alex is still with her, I will deal with him."

Serena had a strange steely glint in her eye as she said this causing the others to exchange apprehensive looks.

"I will then bribe Kunzite's normal driver into letting me take his place using my natural charms and with the Luna pen, disguise myself and drive them home!" Serena said in a triumphant tone, as though the plan had already succeeded.

Hotaru, Setsuna, Michiru and Haruka sighed in unison. They couldn't wait until Mina's lesson was finished. Frankly, Serena's plans were exhausting.

* * *

Please review !


	11. The Wedding: Excessive Baggage

**A/N: **Finally on the home stretch! Wow thank you all for your kind messages last chapter :) I know it would have made more sense to put the cut-scene before part 4 but i did write it afterwards in response to a review and i wanted you guys to read it! After i finish the story i'll slip it in between parts 3 and 4.

So we've reached the wedding now. There's some Serena/Darien fluff and some general scout-tomfoolery. 5 characters we haven't seen before in this story also make a brief appearance, can you guess who? Well you'll know by the end anyway!

Other:

I've begun working on a new story. The working title is "Princess Games" and it's set in the SilMil. I'm planning on writing a two arc story. I've just started the first arc (1 340 words c:) and i'll hopefully start posting it in April. It's a light hearted story about the friendship between the girls. The second arc is more about luuurve and romance (oooh!) and if everything goes according to plan, will be posted around September.

Anyway, enough jibber jabber and let's get on with the story!

* * *

The Wedding

_Excessive Baggage_

The truth was, neither Darien nor Serena particularly wanted a big wedding. Serena sighed as she flipped through a catalogue of table centre pieces. Darien sat opposite her 'reading' over the guest list but Serena suspected that he had zoned out a whole ago (thanks to his glassy eyes). She threw her own catalogue at him to rouse his wandering mind. It hit him squarely in the face and Darien dropped the magazine in surprise.

"This stuff is mind-numbing" he groaned.

"I know but you don't see _me_ day-dreaming. Which might I add is kinda ironic considering my track record." Serena huffed in a superior tone.

Darien's heart melted at her adorableness. In his opinion, basically everything she did was cute. He crawled around the coffee table and wrapped his arms around her. Serena complied and leaned into him, enjoying the feeling of his heartbeat.

"Do you ever think of eloping?" she asked him quietly. To her surprise, Darien began to laugh.

"All the time." He answered wistfully, "I just want to marry you, _not_ pick out doilies."

Serena extracted herself from his arms and looked him dead in the eye.

"Was that a serious answer?" she asked in a solemn voice. Darien was taken aback by her sudden change in mood but nodded.

"Very serious" he added for good measure.

"Then this weekend we're getting married at the beach. I'll pack the bridesmaids dresses and you can pack the tuxedos. I'll let mama, papa and Sammy know so they can drive up to see the ceremony..." Serena began listing off the tasks that needed to be completed whilst jotting them down.

Darien stared at her in shock. He felt as though he had just missed something major in their conversation.

"Wait what?" he spluttered. Serena sighed impatiently.

"With the way things have been progressing, you and I are going to hate our wedding before it even happens but we can't elope because everyone would hate us. Soooo, we'll just have a small ceremony of just the girls, the guys and my parents at the beach and have a reception when we come back" She explained slowly.

A wide smile began to form on Darien's face and he grabbed his notebook.

"We should make this a surprise." He said as he copied down Serena's list. Serena gasped in delight and kissed her fiancé soundly.

"I'm so glad I'm marrying you!" she sighed contentedly.

/\/\/\

Mina and Ami were the first to arrive at the Tsukino's residence. They pulled up in Mina's red hatchback and surveyed the amount of suitcases Serena was bringing in disbelief.

"Shit." Mina swore. Ami was too polite to swear herself, but thoroughly agreed with Mina.

"She must be bringing her whole house" Ami hypothesised.

They got out quickly and walked through the open front door. Ikuko Tsukino, Serena's mother, met them warmly. As the years had gone by, she had come to look upon her daughter's friends as her own children. Kissing them each on the cheek, she and Ami launched into a conversation about med school, leaving Mina free to locate Serena.

She found Serena upstairs, cramming something white into a large bag. Serena herself was surrounded by more suitcases and bags.

"What the hell?!" Mina exclaimed. Her blonde friend looked up in surprise and smiled warmly at Mina.

"Oh hi! Can you help me carry some of these downstairs?" she asked innocently.

"Why do we... no _you_, need so many bags?"

"There's just a lot of stuff to bring" Serena answered vaguely. Mina narrowed her eyes but refrained from commenting. Serena was up to something and frankly she was afraid to get involved. Picking up two of the bags, she carried them downstairs and found the outer sailor scouts waiting in the living room.

"Hey blondie do you have any idea why Serena asked me to drive a 'big car'?" Haruka sat on the sofa with her arm fastened around Michiru's slender waist.

Mina dropped the bags on the ground and ran over to the window. Outside was an unfamiliar minivan.

"I have no idea, but I think our beloved Princess has something planned."

Ami shuddered, "Again?"

Mina nodded solemnly. Setsuna and Hotaru exchanged sly looks and snickered between themselves.

"Well I thought her last scheme was fun" said Hotaru.

"You weren't the one being schemed about" Lita's voice carried in through the door as she entered with Rei. They were closely followed by Jadeite, Nephrite and Zoicite, who were staring around the living room in confusion.

"Why are there so many bags?" they asked in unison. Rei rolled her eyes and simply muttered 'typical' under her breath.

Serena still hadn't appeared by the time Kunzite and Darien had arrived. Kunzite simply raised an eyebrow at the state of Serena's driveway and lounge and Darien seemed unsurprised. Of course he was in on the plan.

"I hope you don't expect _us_ to help you in your craziness?" Rei said snidely.

Serena ignored her and grabbed two of the 17 duffel bags and neatly stowed them into the boot of Darien's car. Darien followed suit and between the two of them managed to cram all the bags into the four cars. It was like watching a live game of tetris. The thing that had puzzled the others was that not only did Serena (backed up by Darien) _forbid_ them from opening their luggage, but also locked them. It was all very bizarre and suspicious.

/\/\/\

They arrived at the beach in the late afternoon. It was a private stretch of land separated from the main beach by two rocky outcrops. The sun was low in the sky and cast a warm light over the beach. The water, which was so pristine and clear, shimmered and the white sand was illuminated by the sun. Three identical wooden cabins were situated uphill from the shore, where the sand turned to grass and a fourth was located on top of a sand dune on the left, closer to edge of the property. They felt as though they were in a scene of a movie.

Serena and Mina had taken it upon themselves to split everybody into groups for the four cabins.

"Okay listen up everybody!" Mina called for their attention, "in cabin one it'll be me, Kunz, Lita and Neph."

"Ami, Zoi, Rei and Jed are in cabin two" Serena continued, squinting at the paper in Mina's hands.

"Michiru, Haruka, Hotaru and Setsuna in cabin three"

"And finally, me, Darien and Luna and Artemis in cabin four" Serena finished brightly.

Lita looked at the two blondes in disbelief.

"Why are you and Darien bunking with Luna and Artemis?! They're cats! They don't need a room to themselves, let alone separate beds!"

"Not even mentioning the fact that they AREN'T EVEN HERE!" Rei shouted in exasperation.

Serena glared at her two scouts, "they're coming later and stop questioning my decision, I am a Queen!" she stuck her tongue out and marched off.

"Yeah Serena decided on the last two cabins" Mina explained sheepishly.

"What's up with her anyway?" Michiru asked concernedly.

Everyone turned to look at Darien. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and shrugged.

"She's been having a hectic week" he quickly explained with a blank face before hurrying after her.

After exchanging curious glances with each other, the rest of the group decided to explore the beach and unpack their belongings.

"And you own all of this?" Lita asked Kunzite incredulously as they walked along the shore, heading towards the large sand dune on the far right of the property.

"It belonged to my family. It was my mother's favourite place in the world" Kunzite explained. His voice was tinged with sadness at the painful memories of his lost family. Mina moved closer to Kunzite and rested her head against his shoulder. She knew it was tough for him to be here.

"I am _so_ glad my bro is loaded" Jadeite said slapping Kunzite on the back. Rei scowled at him,

"Geez Jed, could you be anymore insensitive?" she hissed. The corners of Kunzite's mouth quirked upwards at the bickering couple.

"Naw Rei, Jed's just trying to make Kunz feel better in his own twisted way" Nephrite explained. Lita and Rei exchanged a long look.

"Men!" they exclaimed in unison.

"I definitely agree with that" Haruka chimed in. Michiru cast her a withering look, "your opinion on the matter doesn't count" she informed her girlfriend.

"And why is that?"

Michiru smirked, "because you hate men."

"Only when she first meets them" Ami attempted to even out the argument. Zoicite raised an eyebrow at Ami.

"And the following 12 months." He added. The rest of the shitennou agreed with him.

"Well I like you Haruka-papa!" Hotaru ran up to Haruka and hugged her tightly.

"That's my girl" Haruka said fondly, mussing up her daughter's hair.

After a few minutes, Setsuna ran over to them, a look of bewilderment plastered on her face.

"Where are the water bottles?" Michiru asked her confusedly.

Setsuna waved aside the question, "you know those seventeen suitcases and bags that Serena brought?"

Everyone nodded slowly, wondering where this was going.

"Well they're gone! All of them! I briefly checked the first three cabins and nothing! Not only that, I couldn't find either Serena or Darien."

Mina, Lita, Rei and Ami exchanged looks of terror.

"What do you think they're doing?" Lita said grimacing.

"But we've all been taught out 'lessons'!" Ami exclaimed, puzzled. Sometimes she seriously couldn't understand the Princess and Prince.

"I guess we'll have just to wait and see" Nephrite said bracingly.

Zoicite laughed and put an arm around Ami's shoulders, "Cheer up, it probably won't be that bad."

"You don't know Serena as well as we do" Haruka muttered darkly.

"Amen to that! C'mon guys, we better check what they have planned for us." Rei agreed

They turned back and began to trudge back towards the cabins, each silently wondering what on earth was going to happen.

/\/\/\

Sammy flopped down into a white wicker chair as workers around him set up for the wedding. He brushed his sweaty hair from his eyes with one hand and sighed. Weddings sure are difficult. Of course Serena couldn't help set up, she was off with their mother getting dressed. Darien and father had stayed longer but eventually left to so Darien could also get ready. Now it was just Sammy. Ordinarily, putting Sammy in charge of Serena's event would've ended in disaster; after all, his favourite activity was driving her crazy. But... today was different. Today was Serena's big day and he wanted it to be perfect for her.

Not because he loved her or anything.

He just wanted her room when she moved out.

"The flowers are crooked; make sure they properly curl around the arch." He said to a burly man. The man nodded and clapped him on the back.

"Your sister is a right beauty" he said good-naturedly. With glove-covered hands, he straightened out the roses.

"Yeah she is" Sammy nodded absentmindedly as he examined the white and pink roses that adorned the white wooden arch. This is where Serena and Darien would stand as they recited their vows, with the setting sun and the beach behind them. Determining that they were as close to perfection as it was possible to be, he turned to quickly shower and get ready.

/\/\/\

Ikuko Tsukino felt as though her heart would burst with pride when her daughter emerged from the bathroom. The beautiful wedding gown was made of white silk that seemed to float around her and the neckline was trimmed with white silk roses. Her hair, which had over the course of the past week slowly turning more silvery than gold, was tied up in her two characteristic buns and was adorned with little white roses. A small tiara encrusted with diamonds sat daintily on her head. As Serena lovingly embraced her, Ikuko knew that her daughter had grown into a different person to the clumsy, cry-baby she remembered. She had grown into someone who had all the grace of a queen, the beauty of a goddess and the loving warmth of Serena, herself.

"Thank you for everything mama" Serena whispered in her ear. She pulled away but her gloved hands held onto Ikuko's.

"Oh my baby, you're so grown up!" tears welled up in Ikuko's eyes.

A look of peace washed over Serena and for a moment Ikuko was looking at a woman who had seen much more than she ever would. For a moment, Ikuko had seen the future queen that she would never meet.

Serena felt as though she was walking on air. She had waited many, many years for the day that she would be joined with her love in matrimony. She felt the spirit of Serenity within her, glowing with happiness, and knew that today marked the end of her life as Serena. After today she would become Serenity. She had expected to feel less than pleased about this but no. Instead Serena felt at peace.

For a long time she had differentiated herself from Serenity but now she knew differently. She and Serenity were the same and she need not be afraid of becoming who she was meant to be. Serena glanced at the clock, it was nearly time for her guardians to appear. She only hoped that Molly had managed to calm them down. Serena shuddered at the thought of what their outrage had been.

At the other end of the cabin was Darien and Kenji Tsukino. In silence, Kenji held out Darien's embroidered jacket. Darien flashed him a warm smile before he was lost again to his nerves. His throat felt dry and scratchy and his voice seemed to have deserted him. Darien desperately wanted to reassure Kenji that he would love and protect Serena until the day they died. That his life was a barren wasteland without her. That Kenji has been an amazing father to Serena and that one day, his efforts would be reflected in the way she successfully ruled over Crystal Tokyo. But he couldn't. His trembling hands attempted to pin the vibrant red rose to his jacket but instead, he pricked himself. The sharp hiss that escaped his lips brought Kenji out of his reverie.

"Everything alright, son?" he questioned as he buttoned up his waistcoat. When Darien didn't answer, he looked up and found him sitting on the bed, shoulders sagging and rose lying discarded next to him.

Darien stared at the drop of blood that was welling up from the prick on his finger. He would protect Serena until every last drop of blood left his body. That was his vow to himself.

"I've always found button holes difficult as well" Kenji said gruffly.

He patted Darien's shoulder comfortingly. Darien looked up at his soon-to-be father in law, his deep blue eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"I'll never understand why Serena chose me" Darien confessed. The older man shrugged and sat down beside Darien.

"I'll never understand either. When she first brought you home I was suspicious. Why would an older boy studying medicine be interested in my Serena? I thought it was maybe because you two were similar but I quickly realised that you weren't. Serena was always loud, happy and smiling. You were quiet, reserved and somewhat distant."

He paused thoughtfully to gather his thoughts.

"I mean no offence of course"

Darien shook his head, "And I felt none. It's true" he said quietly.

"As the years went by, I saw you open up and become more relaxed. You were livelier and happier and so very much in love with my daughter."

Kenji took of his glasses and looked Darien straight in the eye, "I could never give her away to a lesser man. Serena saw something in you, a good man, and I can see it too."

A smile flickered onto Darien's face and his hands stopped trembling. His nervousness slipped away. Kenji pulled Darien to his feet and grabbed the rose. He expertly pinned it to the jacket and patted Darien once more on the back. Darien checked his pocket once more for his vows. He heard the reassuring crumple of paper. He was now ready.

* * *

_Next chapter: . Mina and Rei ranted and raved whilst the others tried to absorb what was happening..._


	12. The Wedding: The Ceremony

**A/N: **i hope this chapter isn't overwrought or too fluffy! I desperately tried to beat away the fluff monster with a wooden stick. It's lucky that's I wrote so much during my college break because i havent had any time these past few weeks to right anything!

The vows in this chapter took the longest to write and so did Darien's thoughts just before the wedding begins. I hope you guys enjoy it! Please leave a review (and thank you all for the reviews last chapter 3)

2 chapters left!

_**Mimi **_

* * *

_The Ceremony_

_Earlier that_ day

Molly and Andrew sat anxiously next to the cars. They were waiting for the scouts and the shitennou to appear. They were charged by Darien and Serena to take them to their cabins to dress for the wedding.

"Do you think they're going to be mad? I think they are! Especially Rei." Molly babbled nervously.

"The girls probably won't be... chilled out...but the guys probably will."

Molly shot Andrew a nasty glare.

"That's not helping!"

Andrew rubbed his neck apologetically. He hadn't meant to make Molly feel bad but it was the truth. He was about to reassure her properly when she jumped up.

"They're coming!" she said frantically. Andrew slowly got up and readied himself.

Hotaru was the first to spot them. At first she was confused the presence of the two figures in the distance but as they got closer she realised who they were. Jumping up and down, she waved to them.

"Andrew! Molly!" She shouted. The rest of the group's attention was quickly focussed on their two friends. Hotaru took off in a sprint, with the others following in fast pursuit.

"What are you guys doing here? Did Serena inv... this has something to do with all those bags Serena brought I'm guessing." Mina said slowly, her mind working at a million miles an hour.

Molly wringed her hands and nodded.

"The girls have to come with me."

"And the boys with me" Andrew jumped in.

"Serena and Darien have planned a surprise and it's important that you guys don't give them any trouble. Understood?" He eyed each one of them, taking in their slightly shocked faces. Andrew had never sounded so authoritative before.

"If this is what Serena and Darien want then I am happy to oblige." Kunzite said quietly.

He motioned towards Jadeite, Zoicite and Nephrite, indicating that they should stand by Andrew.

"And I think we all want to make Serena happy" Michiru said loudly before Rei or Haruka could make any objections.

She grabbed them by their arms and pulled them over towards Molly.

Molly looked relieved.

"Thanks Drew" she muttered to him before leading the girls off to the first cabin. He nodded once in reply and led the men to cabin next door.

/\/\/\

The scouts sat in the little living room of the cabin and waited for Molly, who had disappeared into one of the bedrooms, to appear. There was a loud thud followed by a 'oof'.

"Is everything okay?" Lita called out.

A muffled 'fine' was sent back in response. Lita raised a curious eyebrow but stayed in her seat.

"What do you think this is?" she mused out loud.

"Maybe they have some important announcement" Michiru offered. Mina gaped,

"MAYBE SERENA'S PREGNANT!" She squealed. Setsuna choked on her glass of juice.

"Speaking as the keeper of time, I can safely say that it's not time for small lady... yet" she said quickly to stop anyone's hopes from raising.

"Damn." Hotaru's face fell, "Well maybe she's going to tell us that she and Darien are trying to have a baby."

"Ewww... I really don't want to hear about their sex life" Rei made a disgusted face.

Haruka chuckled, "It's not like we don't know what they get up to anyway."

"That's not the point. The point is the less Serena says, the less nightmares I have." Rei shot back.

"Maybe we should just wait and see instead of uselessly questioning" Ami suggested smartly.

Seven pairs of eyed swung towards the blue-haired girl in surprise.

"Did Ami just give us attitude?" Lita said in wonder.

"I think Zoi is starting to rub off on her" Hotaru giggled.

Mina waggled her eyebrows suggestively, "...I think you meant rub on her" she giggled.

Setsuna frowned at the giggling blonde, "does that even mean anything?"

"It doesn't have to! All that matters is that Ami and Zoi are getting bus-ayy!"

A red-faced Ami opened her mouth to retort but before she could Molly stumbled into the room carrying 7 dress bags.

/\/\/\

Each bag contained a bridesmaid dress for each of the girls. Molly herself had designed them to match their personalities, as she had designed the groomsmen's' suits and the outfits of the bride and groom themselves. Haruka and Lita rushed over to help Molly with the bags but very nearly dropped them when they saw what they were.

"Are these our bridesmaid's dresses?" Lita asked in hushed tones.

A stunned silence filled the room. Molly cleared her throat nervously.

"Er... yes."

Rei was the first to explode,

"WHAT! HOW COULD SERENA NOT TELL US?" she shrieked but the end of her question was drowned out by Mina's outrage.

"SHE'S GETTING MARRIED WITHOUT TELLING US! I HAVEN'T EVEN BROUGHT MY MAKEUP!"

Molly wasn't very good with confrontation and this was her worst nightmare. Mina and Rei ranted and raved whilst the others tried to absorb what was happening and all Molly could do was shrink into the background, hoping no one would notice her.

"You!" Haruka turned to her.

Too late, she'd been noticed.

"You knew! You and Andrew have been in helping them!" she accused.

Mina looked at her with reproachful eyes.

"Serena couldn't trust us..." Mina said flatly.

Molly's eyes widened and she shook her head vigorously.

"No! No! It's not that at all! She wanted to surprise you!" Molly hastened to explain. Haruka, Rei and Mina eyed her suspiciously, mulling over what she had just told them.

Setsuna took pity on the poor girl and smiled benignly.

"Of course she did. That sounds exactly like what Serena would do."

"We probably don't have much time to do our makeup and hair, so we better get started." Hotaru added.

Mina's face immediately lightened.

"Yes! I'm doing everybody's makeup!" she squealed in delight.

"I take it the makeup and hair supplies are in that room as well?" she asked Molly.

Pleased by the sudden lack of animosity aimed at her, she quickly assured Mina that she and Serena had packed everything that Mina needed to make them all stunning.

"Well then we better get started!" Lita grabbed Rei by the elbow and dragged her over to the bathroom.

"You're showering first, better let the water cool your hot-head before seeing Serena" she teased.

/\/\/\

The next hour and a half passed by in a blur of activity. Molly, using her influence as an upcoming Tokyo designer, had managed to bring a team of stylists, who under Mina's careful directions, did the hair of each of the girls. Each wore a garland of flowers in their signature colours and were each given a bouquet to match.

Molly wasn't surprised to see Haruka, Setsuna and Ami ready first. Despite the fuss Haruka had made when Mina approached her with a palette of eyeshadow, she had dressed swiftly and preferred to help Michiru and Hotaru dress. Setsuna and Ami helped the other girls.

To Molly's amazement Lita, who despite her tomboyish attitude, had her makeup and hair redone four times until she had achieved the perfect look. Rei hadn't been much better and of course Mina was the slowest. But finally they were all ready.

In a simple dress of white and her brown waves pulled from her face, Molly led the way out of the cabin where they promptly ran into the men.

Andrew, of course, had no troubles. The shitennou had expressed their initial shock but they had quickly got themselves together and dressed without fuss. They met the women outside their cabin and each were blown away by their beauty.

"Molly, you've done an amazing job" Zoicite complimented, his firmly fixed on Ami's lithe form.

Molly blushed and graciously accepted the compliment.

"Since we are all gathered, I'm going to let Serena and Darien know that we are ready, and then we can head over." Andrew said as he texted Darien on his cell phone.

A ping alerted him of Darien's reply: _Thanks Drew, u can come now._

"Alright, follow Molly and me!"

He held out his arm to Molly, who cheerfully accepted it, and the wedding party set off towards the sand dune that hid the wedding.

/\/\/\

When they arrived at the fourth cabin, sitting atop the dune, they found the door open. As they filed in they were greeted by a breathtaking sight.

Perched delicately on a stool in her wedding dress gazing wistfully out of the window towards the beach, was Serena herself. The ivory silk hugged her slender figure before flaring out at her hips. Her silvery hair cascaded down her bare shoulders and the colour seemed to enhance the blueness of her eyes. The air in the room seemed to have disappeared.

Upon their arrival, Serena stood and greeted them with warm hugs.

"Surprise!" she exclaimed throwing her arms in the air.

Rei glared and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"You could've told us" she growled. Serena rolled her eyes but didn't bother to respond to Rei's grouchiness.

"Darien is waiting for you down by the altar" she informed the generals.

"We'll head down now." Jadeite replied warmly.

Serena smiled at Andrew and gave him another hug,

"thank you for helping us" she whispered in his ear before letting him depart with the generals.

"I better go make sure everything is ready as well. Send the girls down in 5 minutes." Molly said as she checked her watch.

As Molly made to leave Serena grabbed her hands and held them tightly in her own. No words were exchanged between them but Molly saw Serena's gratitude in the way her eyes glistened with unshed tears and her hands trembled ever so slightly.

Soon it was just Serena and her scouts.

"Why now?" Mina broke the silence as she straightened some of the roses in Serena's hair with deft hands.

"The time is right." Serena replied vaguely,

"That shade of lipstick looks good on you Michiru." She complimented the older girl in the hopes of distracting Mina.

"Thank you but nothing compares to your loveliness, Princess. I also think you should answer Mina's question."

Serena pouted at Michiru for not letting her off the hook but sighed.

"Darien and I were tired of the endless organising and the huge affair it turned into. We wanted to be married. This way was easier and more satisfying." She explained.

"So this is what you packed all those bags for!" Hotaru said, cottoning on. Serena nodded and grinned.

"I bet you all thought it was food." She teased.

The embarrassed shuffling of her guardians confirmed her belief and she burst in laughter.

"I bet at least two of those bags were food anyway" Lita pointed out.

Serena made no pretence of denying this but simply continued laughing. The remainder of the five minutes passed by in amicable chatting and light teasing. This was their comfortable routine. Finally it was time for the girls to leave Serena and take their places down at the altar. Haruka hugged Serena tightly, Ami surreptitiously wiped the tears from her eyes, Mina fussed with Serena's hair one last time and then they were gone.

/\/\/\

There were a few moments in Darien's life that he would never forget and he was sure that this was one of them.

The sun was beginning to set over the ocean, casting everything in a brilliant orange glow.

It was time for Serena's arrival.

He waited with bated breath for his Princess, no his Queen, to appear from the white fluttering tent where she was currently hiding. His eyes roamed over the small crowd. It comprised only of Serena's family bar Kenji, Luna and Artemis (in their human forms), Molly and Andrew. Beside him stood his four groomsmen, Kunzite, Jadeite, Nephrite and Zoicite.

Serena had asked him if he wanted to pick a best man and in retaliation he had asked Serena who would be her maid of honour. She quickly decided that the two positions were useless anyway. Serena never played favourites. She was fair and just and that's what he loved about her.

On his left stood Ami, Rei, Lita, Mina, Setsuna and Hotaru. They each held their bouquets and stood still and dignified. Haruka and Michiru stood slightly apart, waiting with their keyboard and violin. Neither of them had seemed very surprised when Darien had explained that Serena wanted them to play as she walked down the aisle.

Just as he was thinking this, he heard them begin. It was a sweet and luscious waltz that Michiru had written herself. The music seemed to dance around them before finally beckoning Serena out of the tent.

The moment Darien's eyes landed on her he felt his heart skip a beat. Serena, accompanied by Kenji, walked slowly towards Darien, her expression serene and noble and her step light and graceful. A gentle breeze picked up and Serena's long hair and dress fluttered behind her.

Darien's heart ached.

He had never witnessed anything so heartbreakingly beautiful before and before he knew it she was standing before him. She passed her bouquet of roses to Mina as Kenji lifted her veil. He kissed her on the cheek before taking his seat next to his wife. The music died away and Haruka and Michiru took their place beside the other bridesmaids.

The face that stared back at him, those beautiful blue eyes filled with warmth and love, the small pink lips, the delicate wispy fringe... everything about her was stunning. The officiant began to speak and Darien forced himself to focus on what the small, stooped man was saying.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Serena Tsukino and Darien Shields in marriage. Today we bear witness to one of life's greatest moment, a day in which we recognise the worth and beauty of love that bring these two together."

Lita noticed Kenji sobbing into a scrap of lace as Ikuko sat watching her daughter transfixed.

Her gaze flitted across to the shitennou.

She wasn't surprised to see tears streaming down Nephrite's face- he was after all a very passionate man but she had never seen such tenderness in Kunzite's face before. Nor had she ever seen tears pool up in Jadeite's eyes or Zoicite's lips tremble with emotion. She had never thought of them as particularly emotional men but Lita didn't mind. She preferred it this way.

"Serena and Darien, will you now please share your vows and intent to enter into marriage?" the officiant asked.

Serena reached for Darien's hand and held his cool hand with her warm one.

"Darien Shields, today I pledge my heart and soul to you. The love we share has been tested time and time again, it has undergone so many crushing trials that should have destroyed it, yet... it shines on. Your love is the light that guides me in the darkness. Your love gives me strength and courage when I'm weak and frightened. I vow to always protect you. I take you to be my husband." Serena finished breathlessly.

Ikuko squeaked in joy loudly and was shushed by Sammy but all this was lost on Darien who was gazing dopily at Serena. He never knew that he could feel so much happiness at once.

"Mr Shields?" the officiant prompted gently.

Darien nodded in thanks and went to reach for his vows kept safely in his pocket. His hand hovered above his pocket for a second before he slowly lowered it. He didn't need to see the written words. They were already imprinted in his mind and on his heart.

"Before I met you, I lived a life of loneliness and distance. When I met you everything changed. You filled my life with beauty, warmth and love. You brought me friends and gave me a new family. You say that I'm your light but you're also mine. When I was blinded, you gave me back my sight. When I lost my way, you showed me where to go. When I was sick, you stayed with me and when I disappeared from your life, you never stopped believing that I would come back. You are my saviour and my angel. I love with you every fibre of my being and I will always protect you. Serena Tsukino, I, Darien Shields, take you to be my wife." The earnestness of his vows brought Serena to tears.

Her hand quivered in his but he simply held tighter. For that moment, no one existed but them. They were lost in a world of their own.

Rei considered herself to be a perceptive person. She thought she knew her friends well and could hazard their reactions accurately. It turns out that she wasn't as good as she thought.

She hadn't expected to seem Ami, so controlled with her emotions, to raise a hand and brush her own tears away, or Mina, who she would've pinned as the first to blubber during the wedding, to stand dry-eyed and proud.

She never imagined Lita to close her eyes as she listened to the wedding vows or Hotaru to grasp Setsuna's hand. She hadn't foreseen Haruka leaning ever so slightly against Michiru for support.

Most of all, Rei hadn't expected to feel so many emotions as she watched the once flaky, cry-baby, scatterbrained girl marry the boy of her dreams. She never thought that tears would roll down her cheeks as she watched them exchange their vows.

But this was one of the few times that Rei was happy to be wrong because everything and everyone was so much better than she had ever guessed.

* * *

_next chapter: "IT'S NOT FUNNY" Mina shrieked, pegging one of her orange stilettos at him..._


	13. The Wedding: The After Party

**A/N: **Wow. Last. Chapter. Thank you all so so so so much for your support and lovely reviews! Hopefully you enjoy this chapter and stick around for the epilogue as well!

Thank you guys so much! Please enjoy!

* * *

_The After Party (and after the party)_

The officiant beamed benevolently at the young couple. It warmed his heart to see such commitment.

"We will now exchange rings. These rings are a symbol of your commitment and represent the journey you are now embarking on. A journey filled with joy, grief, surprise, tears, wonder and pain. Please repeat after me."

Kunzite handed Darien the ring whilst Serena received hers from Ami. The ring Darien had chosen for Serena was a simple affair. It was a gold band encrusted with three diamonds. The largest one was cut in the shape of a heart and sat in the centre of the ring. The two smaller diamonds sat either sad of the heart. The band was engraved with the simple message 'my heart is yours'.

Serena had thought long and hard about the ring she would give to Darien. In the end she had decided on a simplistic design as well. It was a plain gold band with silver inlaid crescent moons. It was elegant without being ostentatious. She too had engraved the ring with: 'Until forever'.

"I give you this ring to represent the love I feel for you. Wear it now as a sign of the love we share together." The officiant intoned.

Darien and Serena repeated his words in unison and slipped the rings onto each other's fingers.

"By the power given to me by the state of Japan, I now declare you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride." He announced joyfully.

Darien pulled Serena close and moved his head towards her. They were nose to nose, her eyes fluttering shut, when he said quietly so only she could here,

"I love you Serenity"

before closing the space between their lips. He kissed her soundly and firmly, savouring the softness of her lips.

There was an explosion of cheers and shouts of joy from their gathered friends and family. Serena and Darien broke apart, resting their foreheads against each other.

"I love you too Endymion" she giggled before pulling away and turning to hug each of her friends.

Darien felt the corners of his lips tug upwards by her sweetness and watched his new wife for a few moments before being ambushed by the generals.

/\/\/\

By the time the actual ceremony was over, the sun had finished setting and night had fallen. Lights had been strung up and torches lit, providing a well-lit party area. Ikuko had cooked a feast fit for a king that had even Lita coming back for seconds. The evening passed by in a pleasurable blur of laughter, dancing and food – three of Serena's favourite things.

The first dance of the newlywed had been very 'awww' inducing. Again, Haruka and Michiru took up their instruments to play another waltz. They had quietly asked Serena before, what they should play for her first dance but she had just smiled and assured them that when the moment came, they would know. Michiru and Haruka instantly knew that their next piece would be something from deep within their memories of their time in Silver Millennium.

It was a beautiful melody with a tinge of melancholy. It evoked images of grand palaces, balls and a world lost to time. Serena and Darien danced expertly, as though they had been doing this for years. Everyone stared transfixed. It was a beautiful sight. Eventually the song ended and Darien passed her to her father.

Shortly after all of the shitennou, Sammy, Haruka and Andrew claimed her for a dance each.

Serena flitted from guest to guest, with Darien firmly by her side. She gossiped with the girls and Molly, giggled with her mother, joked with the men, teased her brother, comforted her father and confided in Luna and Artemis. It was an evening Serena would remember forever.

It was around eleven at night by the time the party began to wrap up. Serena bid her family good bye and the workmen were dismantling and packing away when she suddenly remembered one last thing.

Grabbing her forgotten bouquet she clambered onto a chair and called for the attention of all the girls.

"Get ready to catch the bouquet!" She warned them before turning around and throwing it behind her.

Their hands flew up and they all eagerly reached for it. Lita enthusiastically knocked Rei's hand out of the way and in the process, elbowed Haruka in the face.

"Ow! Watch it!" Haruka barked as she trod on Mina's foot.

Mina howled in pain as the heel of Haruka's pumps stabbed her foot.

"Mina! Oh my god! I'm so sorry on Haruka's behalf!" Michiru apologised anxiously trying to support the wailing blonde and forcing Haruka to do the same.

Hotaru, in an effort to help Mina, backed into Rei who tripped on her dress and fell onto Lita.

All three of them tumbled to the ground taking Setsuna, who had attempted to pull Hotaru upright, down with them.

The bouquet flew over the fallen sailor scouts, over Haruka and Michiru depositing Mina into a chair, and straight into the hands of a very surprised Ami. It took Ami a moment to register what was happening but as soon as it clicked, Ami blushed crimson and yelped.

Serena, who had seen the whole thing, burst into peals of laughter. It was a glorious sound. Warm, musical and absolutely infectious. Darien was soon clutching his side as he struggled to say between gasps,

"I told you we didn't need entertainment".

The shitennou were beside themselves with laughter.

"That ... was the ...funniest... thing I've ever...seen" Jadeite wheezed.

Nephrite, for the second time today, had tears streaming down his face but this time they were tears of laughter. Zoicite was chuckling as he made his way over to the shocked Ami. But the most surprising reaction was the deep, booming laughter that came from Kunzite.

"IT'S NOT FUNNY" Mina shrieked, pegging one of her orange stilettos at him. It was a poor shot and only served to bolster his laughter.

After the girls had disentangled themselves they crowded around Ami.

"So Ami... you're next to get hitched!" Rei ribbed good naturedly.

"Damnit, I wanted to catch it" Mina sighed wistfully, before shooting a nasty glare at Haruka, "and I would've had _somebody_ not stood on my foot!"

"It was Lita's fault" Haruka said immediately.

"That is true" Michiru agreed.

All eyes turned to Lita who met them with a defiant look.

"It's my dream to be a bride? Don't you guys remember? Besides I ended up at the bottom of that scout-pile. That's punishment enough" she rubbed a bruise that was beginning to blossom on her left arm.

Hotaru reddened with guilt.

"That was completely my fault and I take full blame" she said to Setsuna, Rei and Lita but before they could respond Serena cut in.

"None of that is important, the important thing here is that AMI'S GETTING MARRIED!" she cheered throwing her arms around her friend.

"It's coincidental that this should happen, isn't it Ames?" Zoicite called out over the celebrating newlywed.

"What do you mean by that?" Darien asked with a knowing smile.

Kunzite, Nephrite and Jadeite leaned in, curious to hear what their friend had to say.

"Ami will you tell."

Ami frowned at Zoicite in disapproval. She hated being in the spotlight. With a heavy sigh she decided to get it over and done with.

"Zoicite proposed to me last night."

It almost like déjà vu because for the second time, Ami and Zoicite were the subject of intense cheering and celebration and no one was louder than Serena.

/\/\/\

It was the sound of a soft 'ow' that woke Darien up. As soon as he was awake he registered that his wife was nowhere to be seen. Pulling his boxers on, he grabbed the blanket off the bed and went looking for his wife.

He found Serena sitting in a faded hammock outside the cabin, staring at the rising sun across the ocean. A cool breeze ruffled her long hair which was still silvery-white. Serena shivered and rubbed her arms. She only wore a short silk nightie.

"You'll catch a cold before our honeymoon even starts" Darien chided fondly.

He sat down next to her and wrapped the blanket around their shoulders.

"I won't. You're always here to protect me, remember?"

Darien chuckled and snuggled against her. He rest his head against her shoulder and gently peppered her neck with kisses. Serena giggled and batted him away.

"I'm trying to watch the sunrise!" she whined as she fended away his kisses.

"Alright, alright" Darien conceded.

Together they watched the beach come alive under the sun. The water was tinted orange and the light smattering of clouds glowed orange as well. Serena reached for Darien's hand and squeezed it tightly. He returned the pressure and pulled her into his arms.

"Today marks the beginning. Crystal Tokyo is drawing closer" she informed Darien.

She had felt it's presence in her dreams last night. She knew Crystal Tokyo would be a happy and peaceful kingdom but what worried her was the events leading up to it.

"I know and we will meet it when it does. Together. Whatever comes to pass will pass and there's no point worrying about it now." Darien said firmly.

"Besides, I'll always be here to protect you, remember?" he teased.

Serena nodded and relaxed in his embrace. Darien was right of course. They would face the mysterious future together just as they always had. They stayed like this well past sun rise, simply savouring the moment.

The End


	14. Epilogue

**A/N: **Sorry for the late update! I know i said it would be earlier. I was hospitalized the other week after fainting ! But i'm fine now and happy to finish this off. Thank you to everyone who reviewed. Thank you to everyone who favourited/followed and thank you to everyone who just read it.

Until next time!

xxxxx Mimi

* * *

Epilogue

"OH MY GOD!" Lita shrieked causing Nephrite to smother her next words with his hand.

The sleepy Serena with her buns completely undone and wearing, what seemed to be, nothing but Darien's t-shirt blinked at Lita uncomprehendingly. The elevator doors opened, revealing Zoicite, Ami and Mina who both shrieked in a similar manner.

"SERENA!" Mina squealed in excitement.

"Have we come at a bad time?" Ami asked faintly. She looked more embarrassed to have caught Serena in an indecent state more than anything.

Her embarrassment caused her husband to laugh cheerily. All the hubbub brought another figure to the hallway conversation. The shirtless, boxer wearing Darien appeared behind Serena

"W-What's going on?" he asked stifling a yawn.

Nephrite laughed,

"nice one dude" he congratulated, fist bumping the black-haired prince.

"Wadado?" Darien mumbled, practically incoherent.

Nephrite wiggled his eyebrows, prompting Ami, Lita and Mina to slap his arm.

"It's 2 am guys, why are you here?" Serena finally managed.

The gentle ping of the elevator announced more visitors.

"Why did we even need to pick up Kunzite anyway?" Rei whined at Jadeite.

Jadeite, whose arm was slung around Rei's shoulders, shared a long-suffering look with his stoic friend, Kunzite.

"Because you totalled his car while driving mine, remember?" he explained patiently. Rei looked appropriately abashed.

"Don't mind Rei, it's early so she's crankier than usual" Mina said loudly to Kunzite.

Kunzite smirked and kissed his fiancée on the cheek.

"And I see you're back from England."

Mina nodded proudly, "I told you'd make it! Ami and Zoi picked me up from the airport on their way here."

"I'd hate to interrupt you guys but what the hell are you doing at my apartment at 2am?" Darien interrupted them in an annoyed voice.

Mina and Lita giggled and grabbed Rei and Ami by the arms and forced them to the front of the small crowd of friends. Mina dug through her large purse until she pulled out a long rolled up piece of paper. Handing it to Ami, they slowly unwound it, each of the girls supporting a section of the banner.

"HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!" they shouted. Serena grinned at them and squealed in delight, grabbing Darien's arm tightly. This was the last straw for the other tenants in the building and someone in the next apartment banged loudly on the wall.

"Shut up!" they wailed. Everyone exchanged guilty smiles.

/\/\/\

They allowed Serena and Darien to go and dress properly before beginning the festivities, which primarily involved blind folding them and forcing them into a car. The long drive to the secret destination was a trial on everyone's nerves. Serena spent the entire car trip complaining about how sick she felt before throwing up in Rei's handbag.

It was lucky that Rei was in another car.

Darien on the other hand, spent the car ride fending off lewd remarks from Jadeite and Nephrite. He did at least have the satisfaction of seeing them both punished by their partners.

"Serena sure does have some nice legs." Jadeite said trying to provoke Darien.

"Some of the best I've ever seen" Nephrite agreed.

Rei and Lita exchanged a single look before slapping their respective men across the head.

"I can't believe I married this one" Lita groaned.

"I can't believe I have the choice not to marry Jed and I'm still going to" Rei said, matching Lita's tone.

Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru, Setsuna, Luna and Artemis all waited patiently at the beach for the others to arrive. Hotaru spent most of the time texting a boy that she had recently become enamoured with

"Will Chibiusa meet him?" she asked Setsuna anxiously. Setsuna gave her adoptive daughter a stern look.

"You know I can't answer questions pertaining to the future." She lectured. Hotaru made a face but accepted defeat.

"I'm sure she will" Michiru leaned across Haruka to whisper to Hotaru.

The happy look on Hotaru's face negated the disapproving one on Setsuna's.

"I can't see my little girl unhappy" Michiru explained with a shrug.

The sound of an approaching car put an end to all conversation for now and they got ready to guide the prince and princess to their cabin. Darien was the first to arrive. He was helped out by the others and dragged towards the cabin by Haruka and Michiru, all the while asking confused and increasingly annoyed questions.

Serena was trickier mainly because she put up more resistance. At first she didn't want to leave the car, despite her numerous complaints during the drive. Then, she refused to walk anywhere unless her blindfold removed. In the end it took the combined efforts of Setsuna, Hotaru and Luna and Artemis to drag her to the cabin.

"By the way she was acting you'd think she was going off to her execution." Nephrite muttered to Mina as he watched them bicker.

"She acts this way about eating vegetables. It's nothing new." Mina reassured him with a fond smile.

/\/\/\

Darien and Serena were forced to sit side by side on a soft seat and wait as everyone gathered inside the tiny cabin. Then Luna, sitting on top of Serena's head, pulled the blindfolds away.

Together, they both gasped at the sight.

Hundreds of flowers of every kind covered the room and what they thought was a seat was actually a bed. Darien realised where they were immediately.

"Your beach?" he quizzed Kunzite.

Kunzite confirmed Darien's suspicion with a single nod. Serena gasped again.

"You guys did this for us?" she asked sappily, tears welling up in her eyes.

"No, we did it for someone else." Rei said sarcastically, "Of course we did it for you, you meatball head! We love you both and wanted to give you guys something special!"

Serena ducked her head and brushed away the tears in the corner of her eyes. Hotaru took this as their cue to leave.

"So...we're going to give you guys some privacy now" Hotaru said with a wink, causing the others to laugh and begin to make their way out.

"I can't believe they did this!" Serena said as she fell back onto the bed, spreading her arms out.

Darien never answered, instead he stared at her hungrily.

Everything about her was simply beautiful. He scooped her up in his arms and laid her on the bed properly before clambering on top of her.

"I can." He breathed before kissing her passionately.

Serena wrapped her arms around her husband's neck and reciprocated with enthusiasm. She was definitely going to have to thank the girls for this later.

_The next morning..._

Serena burst into the cabin where the girls were gathered in nothing but a silk kimono. They were lounging around applying facemasks and reading magazines, or in Ami's case, a nice big book. Upon seeing her, Rei shook her head in disbelief.

"Would it kill you to wear some decent clothes once in awhile?" she teased Serena but for once, Serena had nothing to say back to Rei.

She strode over to the couch and collapsed into it. The shocked look on her face gave rise to worry and anxiety in the girls. They immediately crowded around and her attempted to question her on what was bothering her.

"Do I need to beat up that little Elysion punk?" Haruka threatened menacingly.

"What! No!" Serena said, frantically trying to keep Haruka from hurting Darien.

"What's wrong Serena?" Setsuna tried in a calming voice but Serena remained silent, deep in thought.

It was Mina who noticed what was clutched tightly in the Princess's hand. She dropped to her knees and attempted to pry it away. Serena offered no resistance and let Mina take it off her.

"A pregnancy test?" Mina clarified in a hushed voice. Serena nodded with wide-eyes.

"I can't look at it." She whispered.

Mina nodded and understood what Serena was asking. She wanted them to check for her. Everyone gathered around as Mina unwrapped the tissue around it and waited with baited breaths.

Two pink bars.

"Chibiusa!" Hotaru gasped in excitement.

Serena expelled the breath she had been holding and began to cry with happiness.

"F-finally!" she managed to say through her tears.

Rei was the first to hug her, wrapping the blonde woman in a warm hug.

"Congratulations" she murmured in her ear before releasing her.

Mina and Lita simulatenously tackled Serena, laughing, crying and shouting. In the background Hotaru and Haruka had started up a dance and were singing joyfully, "Serena's having a baby!" whilst Ami, Setsuna and Michiru muscled their way through to Serena and hugged and congratulated her.

"Thank you for supporting me through everything" Serena thanked her friends earnestly as she wiped away the remaining tears from her cheek.

Suddenly she remembered a certain prince who was probably anxiously waiting for her return.

"Shoot! Darien!" Serena exclaimed.

"Does he know?" Ami inquired. Serena shook her head,

"I kinda ran out without telling him what I was doing" she confessed sheepishly.

"Well don't just stand here! Go and tell the poor man!"

Lita pushed Serena out the door and watched her sprint back towards her cabin with a fond smile plastered on her face.

"She looks like a crazy person running in that kimono" Haruka observed.

"She's _our_ crazy person" Michiru commented with a chuckle.

"And she always will be." Mina agreed.

They sat and waited for the men to return to tell them the good news before they joined Serena and Darien. To say that they were happy was an understatement. They were just as delighted as the girls and wasted no time thumping Darien on the back and kissing Serena's cheeks.

They loved Prince Endymion fiercely and had always respected Princess Serenity for her role in his life. However, through her kindness, forgiveness and determination to help them reconnect with their soul mates, she had earned their love. Their delight in the upcoming addition to their family was earnest and touched Serena's heart.

Serena grabbed Luna and held her tightly.

"I'm so happy!" she breathed out, as though hardly daring to believe that any one person could feel this much joy.

Luna made a funny rasping noise. Darien swooped in and pried the cat away from his wife.

"Oops!" Serena giggled. Rei, Lita and Ami exchanged exasperated looks at Serena's less than child-friendly handling of Luna.

"Let's hope she doesn't do that to baby Chibiusa" Rei muttered.

"We can keep an eye on her" Ami suggested quietly so Serena couldn't here.

"Take turns and stuff" Lita added as she watched Serena roughly pat Artemis causing him to wince with every pat.

"Wait, what is she doing wrong?" Mina asked cluelessly. Luna and Artemis were fine! The girls looked at her in shock.

"Mina!" they groaned in unison.

* * *

_thank you all for your support 3_


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